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How to Keep Your Life on Track

Proverbs 3:5-6

by Samuel E. Ward

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IntroductionFor any important decision in life, there are

biblical principles by which they should be guided. When these are made in accordance with those biblical principles, God’s blessing follows. If they are not, then we have switched to a track upon which we will derail unless we change in time.

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The first great principle is the one given to a lawyer who asked Jesus what he must do in order to gain eternal life. Jesus’ answer?

Luke 10:27 (NIV2011) “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

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The second great principle is to bring honor and glory to God in everything we do.

Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV2011) 14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

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Colossians 3:17 (NIV2011) And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

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Proverbs 3:5-6 is important to understand because it teaches us the three other basic principles we must follow if we would have success in the kind of life God has for us. These are like three spiritual GPS coordinates that when applied faithfully, will lead keep us on course until the completion of our journey.

They are:

I. Trust in the Lord with all your heart.II. Lean not on your own understanding.III. Acknowledge Him in all your ways.

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I. Trust in the Lord With All Your Heart

This should be no surprise to anyone who is familiar with all the other ways in which God expects us to commit fully with our hearts. It was when Israel began to “go through the outward motions and appearances” of faith that God

Isaiah 29:13 (NIV2011) The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.

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A. God God Expects Us to Look to Him with All Our Hearts, James 1:4-8.

James 1:4-8 (NIV2011) 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

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7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

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B. God God Expects Us to Love Him with All Our Hearts, Luke 10:25-28.

Luke 10:25-28 (NIV2011) 25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

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C. God God Expects Us to Serve Him with All Our Hearts, Romans 12:11; Colossians 3:22-25.

1. In our spiritual service, Romans 12:11

Romans 12:11 (NIV2011) Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

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2. In our earthy vocations, Colossians 3:22-25

Colossians 3:22-25 (NIV2011) 22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.

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D. God God Expects Us to Obey Him with All Our Hearts, Romans 6:15-18; Psalm 119:33-34.

1. Paul commended the Roman church for having grown to the point of obedience to God from the heart as opposed to serving sin, Romans 6:15-18.

Romans 6:15-18 (NIV2011) 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey

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—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

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2. David prayed for the knowledge of all of God’s ways so that he might know how to fully obey God in everything, Psalm 119:33-34.

Psalm 119:33-34 (NIV2011) 33 Teach me, LORD, the way of your decrees, that I may follow it to the end. 34 Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law and obey it with all my heart.

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E. God God Expects Us to Repent with All Our Hearts, Psalm 34:12-14.

Psalm 34:12-14 (NIV2011) 12 Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, 13 keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. 14 Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

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F. God God Expects Us to Rejoice with All Our Hearts, Psa 9:1-2.

David responded to all the wonderful ways in which God had shown Himself in his life with whole-hearted praise.

Psalm 9:1-2 (NIV2011) 1 I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. 2 I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.

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II. Lean Not on Your Own Understanding.

A. There Is a Reason for Leaning on the Lord, Psalm 35:10.

Psalm 35:10 (NIV2011) My whole being will exclaim, “Who is like you, LORD? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.”

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B. There Is Victory in Leaning on the Lord, Psalm 44:6-7.

Psalm 44:6-7 (NIV2011) 6 I put no trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; 7 but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame.

Proverbs 2:7-8 (NIV2011) 7 He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, 8 for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.

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C. There Are Consequences for Not Leaning on the Lord, Isaiah 47:10-11.

Isaiah 47:10-11 (NIV2011) 10 You have trusted in your wickedness and have said, ‘No one sees me.’ Your wisdom and knowledge mislead you when you say to yourself, ‘I am, and there is none besides me.’ 11 Disaster will come upon you, and you will not know how to conjure it away. A calamity will fall upon you that you cannot ward off with a ransom; a catastrophe you cannot foresee will suddenly come upon you.

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God does not take pleasure in judgment. But those who, through their selfish indulgence and disregard for Him bring harm upon others, must be judged for the sake of justice. Judgment can only be stayed by repentance.

2 Peter 3:9 (NIV2011) The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

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D. There Is Light for the Path of Those Who Are Leaning on the Lord, Isaiah 50:10.

Isaiah 50:10 (NIV2011) Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the word of his servant? Let the one who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the LORD and rely on their God.

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How precious is the promise God made to His people to keep His ears attentive to their cry for help.

Isaiah 30:19-21 (NIV2011) 19 People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. 20 Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. 21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

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A New Testament parallel to this passage is . . .

James 1:5 (NIV2011) If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

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III. Acknowledge Him in All Your Ways.

The Hebrew word which is translated “acknowledge” in Proverbs 3:6 and similar passages involves seeking God’s knowledge about something. How many times have we placed ourselves in danger by working in areas beyond our expertise.

God is the only expert in “life” and “living” and He has given us a manual. We need to seek and then follow the instructions of the One Who made us.

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A. Two Key Thoughts Concerning Acknowledging God

1. God demands that He be acknowledged as the one and only true God and then abide by His commands, Deuteronomy 4:39-40.

Deuteronomy 4:39-40 (NIV2011) 39 Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.

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40 Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the LORD your God gives you for all time.

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2. It is sound advice for parents to teach their children how to acknowledge God, 1 Chronicles 28:9.

1 Chronicles 28:9 (NIV2011) “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.

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B. The Necessity of Acknowledging Christ

We must acknowledge Christ if we would be acknowledged by Him, Matthew 10:32-33.

Matthew 10:32-33 (NIV2011) 32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

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The Promised Outcome

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will

make your paths straight.(Prov 3:5-6 NIV)

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Where God’s “straight path” leads: Past our oppressors, Psalm 27:11

Psalm 27:11 (NIV2011) Teach me your way, LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.

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From the paths of the wicked, Proverbs 2:12-15

Proverbs 2:12-15 (NIV2011) 12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, 13 who have left the straight paths to walk in dark ways, 14 who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, 15 whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.

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To a longer, more fulfilling life, Proverbs 4:10-12

Proverbs 4:10-12 (NIV2011) 10 Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many. 11 I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. 12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble.

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Through adversity if we listen to God's directions to it, Isaiah 30:20-21

Isaiah 30:20-21 (NIV2011) 20 Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. 21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

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To eternal life rather than destruction, Matthew 7:13-14

Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV2011) 13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.