“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding” -Proverbs 3:5.

I’ve been wondering of late if I really understand this verse. God has given us a mind with the capacity of understanding vast and complex subjects, and surely He wants us to use it. The Bible certainly assumes that we can understand logic and that this understanding will guide our actions.

As I consider this verse now, it appears that there is a choice involved on what we use as the foundation for our understanding. When we face a troubling situation and have no clear direction from the Lord, asking ourselves “What would Jesus do?” will produce an answer that has no foundation other than our own understanding. In other words, an answer that is built on sand that will shift according to our moods and wishes. If we rather ask, “Lord, what would thou have me to do?” and wait for an answer, we are much more likely to make a decision that won’t have unfortunate repercussions.

God provides a solid foundation for our understanding in different ways: through His Word, by the Holy Spirit, by His people. Yet we are not robots, having our every thought and movement directed by a cosmic remote control. There is much scope for the exercise of our own reasoning in working out the details of our lives in accordance with the foundation provided by God.

Even here, though, there is a very real danger that after a number of years of living as a Christian and making many decisions that have proved to be a blessing in my life and the lives of those around me, I might begin to feel that I have this Christian life thing all straight in my mind and can now proceed on auto pilot. I have learned Christian speech patterns, Christian rules of behaviour and for the most part my life continues on fairly successfully.  Yet little signs begin to appear that maybe I am forgetting to lean upon the Lord. My contributions to a spiritual discussion sound like a tape-recorded message that has been played many times already. I am not particularly concerned about the problems of others. And I seem to have become immune to reproof.

Solomon said: “Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished” (Ecclesiastes 4:13). Perhaps he was thinking of himself when he wrote those words. We are not wiser than Solomon, may we not build our lives on the foundation of our own understanding. Let us rather consider Solomon’s final words of instruction:

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” – Ecclesiastes 12:13-14.