Topic #4 – Our understanding of our condition leads us to trusting in God Proverbs 3:5-8

Topic #4 – Our understanding of our condition leads us to trusting in God Proverbs 3:5-8

Pr 3:5–8 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. 7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. 8 It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.

When we talk about the concept of trust is our Reliance on and confidence in a person.

Scripture affirms the total trustworthiness of God, especially in relation to his promises to his people.

Christian faith is, essentially, trust in the person and character of God. Let me give you some examples of why we can trust God.

God's Faithfulness:

1 Corinthians 1:9 (ESV) - "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."

Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV) - "The steadfast love (Unwavering- Reliable- Constant- Fixed- Persistent) of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

Application: Trust in the Lord because His faithfulness endures forever. His love and mercy are fresh each day, offering hope and assurance.

God's Love:

Romans 5:8 (ESV) - "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

1 John 4:16 (ESV) - "So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and anyone who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him."

Application: Trust in the Lord because His love is demonstrated through Christ's sacrifice, and it envelops all who believe in Him.

God's Wisdom:

Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV) - "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

James 1:5 (ESV) - "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him."

Application: Trust in the Lord by seeking His wisdom and guidance in all aspects of your life, knowing that He will direct your paths.

God's Sovereignty:

Proverbs 16:9 (ESV) - "The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps."

Romans 8:28 (ESV) - And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called

Application: Trust in the Lord's sovereignty, recognizing that He is in control, and He can bring good out of any situation.

God's Mercy:

Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV) - "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

Ephesians 2:4-5 (ESV) - "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved."

Application: Trust in the Lord because His mercy is abundant, and His love never fails, no matter our circumstances or mistakes.

God's Power:

Jeremiah 32:17 (ESV) - "Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you."

Ephesians 3:20 (ESV) - "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us."

Application: Trust in the Lord because His power is limitless, and He can accomplish more than we can imagine.

God's Guidance:

Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV) - "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

Psalm 32:8 (ESV) - "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you."

Application: Trust in the Lord's guidance by acknowledging Him in all your ways, and He will lead you on the right path.

God's Comfort:

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (ESV) - "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction."

Psalm 23:4 (ESV) - "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."

Application: Trust in the Lord because He is the source of comfort and peace during difficult times.

God's Eternal Promises:

John 3:16 (ESV) - "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

Revelation 21:4 (ESV) - "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

Application: Trust in the Lord because His promises extend beyond this life, offering the hope of eternal life and ultimate restoration.

God's Unchanging Nature: Immutability

Malachi 3:6 (ESV) - "For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed."

Hebrews 13:8 (ESV) - "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

Application: Trust in the Lord because His unchanging nature means you can rely on His steadfast love and unwavering character.

I can trust in God because …

God is the Creator of the Universe.

I am a created being, dependent on God's creation.

God is all-knowing, or omniscient.

I am limited in knowledge and understanding.

God is all-powerful, or omnipotent.

I have finite abilities.

God is ever-present, or omnipresent.

I am limited to specific locations and cannot be present everywhere simultaneously.

God is loving and compassionate.

While I am capable of love and compassion, my expressions may vary and be imperfect.

God is just and righteous.

I may struggle with justice and righteousness due to my imperfections and biases.

God is merciful and forgiving.

I may struggle to extend mercy and forgiveness as readily as God does.

God is a faithful and trustworthy God.

While I am capable of trustworthiness, I can also be prone to inconsistency and unreliability.

God is the source of eternal life.

I am mortal and finite, with a limited lifespan.

In fact I can trust God because I can't do anything to help myself?

Scripture is clear look what paul says in Colossians 2:13–14 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses (Past -[resent - future,) 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

The picture here is of total dependence upon God

This is not that you are drowning and someone throws you a lifesaver and is up to you to grab it NO NO NO

The picture here is that you are dead in the bottom of the ocean and you need a savior to rescue you.

Christ will never be an option to choose He is a necessity.

"We are all sinners, falling short of God's glory."

But "Through faith in Christ, we find redemption and reconciliation."

"Our hearts are deceitful above all things and desperately sick."

However "Our hearts are renewed and transformed by the Spirit's power."

"We are conceived in sin from our beginnings."

On the other hand "In Christ, we experience a new birth and become new creations."

"None of us are righteous; not a single one."

On the contrary "We are declared righteous through faith in Jesus."

"We earn death as the wages of our sin."

"In Christ, we receive the gift of eternal life."

"We were spiritually dead in our trespasses."

"By God's grace, we are raised to new life in Him."

"We were once foolish, disobedient, and led astray."

"We are now God's workmanship, created for good works."

"By our nature, we were children under God's wrath."

"In Christ, we become friends and children of God."

"We were enemies of God in our minds."

But now "Our minds are renewed and enlightened by the truth of Christ."

"Our understanding was darkened due to sin."

But "Through Christ, we are led from darkness into His marvelous light."

Therefore because by His word we can see clear that He is trustworthy

3:5 Trust Yahweh Since wisdom comes from Yahweh (Prov 2:6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;), He must be trusted. This often involves relying on God’s wisdom rather than human wisdom (v.7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.

It involves doing the right thing when a situation presents itself and trusting God as guide;

It involves morality and the process of discernment.

God has given people rational ability, and Proverbs assumes people will use it to make good decisions.

However, the book cautions against depending on rational abilities alone. Proverbs urges everyone to keep God in mind in everything they do

(V6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths); this is how a person’s life progresses toward God’s goals.

3:6 To know God in all your ways is to invite his presence into all daily activities and decisions.

So Christianity is not a Sunday thing, it is not a conference thing, it is not a momentary thing like you can flip a switch. Its life it self!!!

I am calling you today to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ with everything that shames you and terrifies you and holds you back.

Let your full weight down on him. He will never fail anyone who trusts him radically.

Not superficial faith, because he’s no superficial Savior! He is real.

He is all he claims to be. He is right now all he has ever been to anyone anywhere.

And he offers his total Self to you today on terms of total grace.

What he deserves and demands is your total trust in the love and mercy and wisdom of God in Christ alone.

But how can you tell if your trust is wholehearted?

None of us wants to be half hearted. Youth, when you were ten years old and someone asked you what you wanted to be when you grew up, not one of you said,

“When I grow up, I want to be wishy-washy!” You said something like, “I want to be a Cop!” or “I want to be a fighter pilot!”

And now today we want to be all-out for Christ. So let’s examine ourselves.

Here are three diagnostics for wholehearted trust in the Lord.

First, do you let the Bible overrule your own thinking?

It says in verse 5, “Do not lean on your own understanding.” Do you merely agree with the Bible, or do you obey the Bible?

My cat sometimes agrees with me, but she never obeys me.

If you merely agree with the Bible, then your response is not obedience but coincidence.

It’s just that the prejudices you have soaked up from your culture happen to line up with the Bible at that point.

But what do you do when the Bible contradicts what you want to be true?

If you are looking in the Bible for excuses to do what you want anyway, you have in fact rejected God.

But if you trust the Lord, you will let the Bible challenge your most cherished thoughts and feelings.

The wonderful thing is, the Lord cares about your questions and problems.

He wants to speak into your life in ways that will help you.

If you will trust him wholeheartedly, you will let him teach you.

Second, do you believe someone somewhere without Jesus will still go to Heaven?

Do people really need Jesus to have peace with God?

Or is it okay with God if they’re just sincere, well-meaning people?

If you think so, you are probably putting yourself into that scenario, because you are not sure about Jesus.

You are not trusting Jesus to save you; you are hoping Jesus will flatter you.

But if you trust the Lord entirely, you will also trust him exclusively, as your only Savior, as anyone’s only Savior.

Third, when was the last time you took a risk to obey Christ?

When was the last time you diminished your future—socially, financially, professionally—for his sake?

When was the last time your life looked obviously different from the life of someone who does not trust Jesus at all?

If you never surprise an unbelieving friend by your sacrifices for Christ, it is probably because what you are living for is the same earthly payoff he is living for.

But if you trust the Lord entirely, you will also trust him exhaustively, across the whole of life.

You will not be a fragmented person. You will not think piecemeal.

You will (verse 6 literally translated) “know him” in all your ways. Then he promises to direct the course of your life straight on to where you want to go.

“He will make straight your paths” is a wonderful assurance.

When Jesus rules as Lord over the whole of your life, he will so enter into your story and so make straight your paths that all things will work together for your good. Will you trust him with all your heart?

1. "Can you fully entrust your limitations to God with humility?"

2. "Are you willing to trust in God's grace to extend forgiveness to those who've wronged you?"

3. "Will you trust God to alleviate your worries and anxieties, relying on His providence?"

4. "Can you trust in God's goodness and find gratitude in all circumstances?"

5. "Will you trust in Christ's example and seek to love and serve others selflessly?"

7 Be not wise in your own eyes;(Self reliance) fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.

3:7 Do not be wise in your own eyes Humility is a characteristic of the wise, while arrogance is an attribute of the fool (Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.

Independent Decision-Making: do you prefer making decisions without seeking guidance from their parents or elders, choosing to rely on their own judgment.

"Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers, they succeed." (Proverbs 15:22, ESV) - May we actively seek guidance from wise and experienced individuals, allowing their insights to steer us toward success and fulfillment.

Reluctance to Seek Guidance: They might exhibit hesitation in seeking advice from trusted adults or mentors, attempting to handle challenges and problems on their own.

"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2, ESV) - Let us support one another in times of need, displaying Christ-like love and compassion through our actions and words.

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." (James 5:16, ESV) - May we create an atmosphere of trust and vulnerability, offering genuine support and intercession for one another's well-being and spiritual growth.

Let me close with this final exhortation

"In our recognition of our own limitations, we are called to trust in God's unwavering guidance, as exemplified in Proverbs 3:7, which urges us to fear the Lord and turn away from evil, finding comfort in His righteous path and divine protection."

"As we humbly acknowledge our dependence on God, our understanding of our human condition becomes a catalyst for unwavering trust, prompting us to heed the wisdom

"Embracing the depths of our need for God, we are called to trust in His providence, echoing the timeless truth of Proverbs 3:7, which encourages us to fear the Lord and shun evil, fostering a steadfast reliance on His unfailing strength and the hope found in His eternal promises."

"As our awareness of our own imperfections deepens, we find refuge in trusting God's unwavering faithfulness

May the redeeming love of Christ heal your wounds and revitalize your weary spirit, granting you the peace and refreshment your soul seeks."

"Turn to the saving grace of Jesus, who offers to mend your brokenness, infusing your life with the healing balm of His presence and the lasting refreshment of His mercy."

Lets pray