“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be a healing for your flesh and a refreshment for your body.” Proverbs 3:5-8
But what if I prefer to be wise in my own eyes?
According to this passage from Proverbs, the angst-filled, shoulder-tensed, scowl-faced, bewildered expressions of my past will likely continue.
The Scripture discourages us from trusting our own take on things. Instead, the writer directs us to do three things: Fear God, turn away from evil, and trust God’s work in all things.
The word in Hebrew that we translate as ‘acknowledge’ has a deeper meaning than we might ordinarily ascribe to it. To acknowledge God in all our ways means to know and to notice God in each of life’s circumstances. It means to realize that God is present, and is working for good! The proverb is begging its readers to observe that God is walking beside them.
This awareness of God’s presence not only changes the destination, but also makes the journey that much better. The force of the statement that “God will make straight our paths” is that God will smooth the way forward and make it right.
And when we choose to trust God by forsaking evil and looking for God’s presence in all things, “it will be a healing for our flesh and a refreshment for our bodies.” Trusting God brings healing; healing for our bodies and healing for our relationships.
We choose to trust God because our own vision is limited. Our eyes do not see clearly. Our eyesight is clouded by fear and self-interest. When we are wise in our own eyes, the way ahead is ruinous and filled with pain.
God wants us to choose the path of healing and refreshment.
Come, Holy Spirit, come. Fill us with your presence so that we can trust you more fully and love you more dearly. Amen.