January 20, 2023
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
Professed Christ-followers all over the world are familiar with these verses. Yet, if one were to ponder each phrase while honestly examining his/her lifestyle, there is a distinct possibility that one may see an urgent need to bow before Him and seek His forgiveness; and also to seek His grace and power to come into harmony with His Way. As Scripture is its own expositor, parallel verses shine more light on the state of your union with Him:
Trust in the LORD with all your heart . . .
With my whole heart I have sought you; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Psalm 119:10
Lean not on your own understanding . . .
Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Psalm 119:34
In all your ways acknowledge Him . . .
My “ways” include my thoughts, actions, and speech. I must ask myself: am I living out what our Lord commands, or do I allow tradition to prevail over Scripture. A vital part of my sanctification is learning to make distinctions between good and healthy traditions/habits and those that contradict Scripture. It is a matter of placing myself under the authority of Jesus.
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Matthew 28:18-20
Beloved, He is with you in the power and authority of the Holy Spirit. Walk with Him!
He shall direct your paths . . .
Direct my steps by Your word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me. Redeem me from the oppression of man, that I may keep Your precepts. Psalm 119:133-134
It is a fact that the enemy of souls will work through man to oppose and oppress those who truly love the Lord and want to follow Him in loyalty and obedience. Biblical prophecy demonstrates that this situation will steadily intensify until the Lord comes. The Bible ties obedience to love for the Lord (John 14:15). It is Satan who ties it to “legalism.” To think that living under grace provides a heavenly “stamp of approval” to break the law is a deadly mistake. Be assured that God’s Spirit will never direct you to toss His holy law aside. If it were possible to alter the eternal law of God, Jesus need not have died to pay the penalty for breaking it.
[There is] unrighteous deception among those who [will] perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved. 2 Thessalonians 2:10