“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
This is a Scripture many of us default to when facing critical decisions or moments in our lives. But its applications are far beyond those moments.
The next verse states, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil” (Proverbs 3:7).
The Bible admonishes us to acknowledge God in all our ways. To acknowledge God is to recognize His place as our Lord and the Overseer of all our affairs. This means that we concede to God’s opinion and judgment in every thought, action, and even the kind of character that we imbibe.
When we acknowledge God as the Lord of all, we relinquish the option to make decisions that are void of His guidance and counsel. That is why we usually seek Him in prayer first.
The danger of refusing to acknowledge God in all our ways is that we become wise in our eyes, and end up as fools who are deprived of the superior counsel of God. This is a terrible thing and it is the end of those who do not retain God in their knowledge. When this happens, people begin to make decisions that are driven by evil and lust, until they completely lose the fear of God.
Romans 1:21-22 – “… although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools,…”
Romans 1:28 – “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting…”
In the above Scriptures, we see that acknowledging God goes beyond praying during decision-making. It also includes being thankful to God, knowing that all we are and all that we have come from Him. We are to glorify Him as God, by worshipping Him and no other thing or person.
In everything we do, we must retain God in our knowledge and discard anything that does not align with His Word and counsel.
In all your ways, choose to acknowledge God, and He shall direct your path!
PRAYER: Lord, I worship and thank You because You are Lord over everything. I repent for every way I have refused to acknowledge You and have been wise in my own eyes. Please, help me to fear You and to glorify You always. In Jesus name. Amen!