Morning

November 6

Proverbs 3:5-7 ⁵Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. ⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.

One of our greatest temptations is to trust our self. We say, "If you want it done right, do it yourself." We look to our own experiences, our own insights, our own intellect, when it is nothing compared to the infinite wisdom of God. Is it because we don't think God will answer us? Or perhaps we think He will not answer in a way that will please us. Why can't we trust Him to answer us in a way that is ultimately best for us? That is to place trust in His nature, in His heart. If I refuse to do that, I must ask myself why. Either I do not believe He is who the Word declares Him to be, or I prefer to make my own decisions and be my own lord. If I love Him with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, I should trust Him with all my heart as well.

The LORD intricately plans all your ways. Do you see His hand? Can you see the abounding mercy? We should acknowledge His grace in our lives, and let Him reveal to us what He is doing. When we look to His direction, the crooked paths become straight. Life becomes a wonderful interaction with our Maker. He touches the world through us, and in the process, transforms our lives by increasing our trust in Him.

To be wise in our own eyes is to deceive ourselves. It is a refusal to acknowledge our frequent mistakes and our real condition. We desperately need the LORD for guidance and discernment. If we think we can do it on our own, we have no fear of a just God, who, like a father, will discipline us.

Consider: Shun evil by following His directions. Let each day be filled with the wonder of His presence guiding you, so that His ways become your ways.