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We may bounce around from place 
to place rather than just moving from chapter 1 all the way to 
chapter 31. It's a bit difficult to sort 
of take the book of Proverbs that way. And so this will be 
more of a thematic approach as we look at this particular book. 
And tonight I want to consider the believer's commitment to 
the Lord in Proverbs 3, 5, and 6, a very familiar section of 
Holy Scripture and one that I hope will be encouraging for our hearts 
as we consider who God is and as we consider our dependence 
upon Him. Notice in Proverbs 3, verses 
5 and 6, we are told that, Let us ask God's help as we look at 
this passage in more detail. Father, thank you for this word, 
thank you for this blessed command, and give us the grace, the ears, 
the hearts to receive it, and give us the grace by the power 
of the Holy Spirit to heed it, to obey, and to glorify, and 
to honor you, and to live lives of dependence upon you, to live 
lives of commitment unto you. And our God and Father, we confess 
how far short we fall in this area. We confess that as believers 
we have so much remaining corruption, that as believers we do lean 
on our own understanding. We don't always acknowledge you 
in all of our ways, so we confess that sin and we pray for your 
Holy Spirit to help us, to guide us, to sustain us, and give us 
grace now as we ponder this text. Give us grace now as we ponder 
its application in our lives for this coming week and the 
coming months and years in our lives. May this indeed be a great 
help to us, and may we receive with thanksgiving your written 
word. And may you fill us now with 
the Holy Spirit, for we acknowledge our darkness, we acknowledge 
our tendency toward that which is evil, We acknowledge that 
even by nature and even in a state of grace, we have that remaining 
corruption, that remaining tendency to run from you. We pray your 
Holy Spirit would illumine our minds and our hearts now, that 
you would shine the light upon the pages of Holy Scripture, 
and that you would cause us to receive it joyfully. And we ask 
in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. Well, last week 
we considered Proverbs 28.13, whoever covers his sins will 
not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes it will find mercy. I highlighted there the confession 
isn't simply just going through the motions of actually voicing 
or giving vent to the particular sins that one has engaged in. 
It involves faith. It involves looking unto the 
Lord Jesus Christ. It involves trust in Christ. And so I thought it would be 
good tonight to consider this passage that is about trusting 
in Yahweh. It says, 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 steps. And I would suggest that there 
are three things that we ought to observe here. There is first 
a command, secondly a prohibition, and then thirdly an exhortation. Note in the first place the command. 
He says trust. That is a command. It's an imperative. It's not a suggestion. It's not 
a recommendation. It's not something that might 
make your life a little bit better if you choose to enact it, but 
we are commanded to trust in the Lord with all our heart. 
And I would suggest that this assumes that the Lord is trustworthy. In other words, Father, Son, 
and Holy Spirit is worthy of our trust. Our great God is a 
God who can be taken at His word. Our great God is the God of absolute 
truth. Our great God is the God who 
never lies. Our great God is, in fact, the 
one that is immutable, that is impassable, that when He enters 
into covenant with a sinner, He saves that sinner, He owns 
that sinner, and He keeps that sinner, and that sinner will 
never be lost because of who God is. So we are to trust in 
the Lord with all our heart with reference to salvation. In other 
words, what we are to do in terms of our approach to God is not 
to try and work it out, it's not to try to perform well, it's 
not to be moralist, but we need to trust in the name of the Lord 
Jesus Christ. We need to call upon the name 
of the Lord and thus we shall be saved. The Bible is very clear, 
salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus 
Christ alone. So in the first place, this idea 
of trust in the Lord with all your heart has to mean for salvation. There's no other way of acceptance 
with God but through Jesus Christ. He said, I am the way, the truth, 
and the life. No one comes to the Father except 
through me. If we go or we try or we attempt 
to gain God by our works or by our morality, We are saying that 
what Christ did on the cross wasn't necessary. If it is the 
case that righteousness comes through the law, Paul says that 
Christ died in vain. Rather, we need to look. We need 
to look and live. The way that Moses lifted up 
that wilderness, that serpent, rather, in the wilderness, so 
must the Son of Man be lifted up, that everyone who looks to 
Him will, in fact, live. So we need to trust in the Lord 
for our salvation. But as well, the book of Proverbs 
highlights we are to trust in the Lord for all of life. God the Lord is the object of 
our trust, not only for our salvation, not only for Sunday, but God 
the Lord is the object of our trust in every area of life. 
The Bible is sufficient for all matters of faith and practice. 
The Bible is God's authoritative word, and it speaks to every 
area. religious practice, ethics, history, science, doctrine, whatever 
it may be, God's Word comes to us as the authority, as the source, 
as the guide, as that which should direct us for all of life. So trust in the Lord with all 
your heart. Matthew Poole says, his wisdom, 
following his counsels, his power and goodness in expecting success 
from him, his sovereignty in managing all thy affairs so as 
to please and glorify him. Charles Bridges comments on this 
particular verse. He says, this is the polar star 
of a child of God, faith in his father's providence, promises, 
and grace. He is truth itself. Therefore, 
he would have us take him at his word and prove his word to 
the utmost extent of his power." So the Lord is trustworthy, but 
as well, go back to chapter 2 to see that the Lord is in fact 
the source of wisdom and knowledge. In other words, trust in the 
Lord with all your heart because He is the source of wisdom and 
knowledge. He's not only the object that 
is trustworthy, He is the object that is the source of wisdom 
and knowledge. Notice in Proverbs chapter 2 
at verse 6, for the Lord gives wisdom. From his mouth come knowledge 
and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for 
the upright. He is a shield to those who walk 
uprightly. He guards the paths of justice 
and preserves the way of his saints. Then you will understand 
righteousness and justice, equity, and every good path." You see, 
God is trustworthy to be sure. God is also the source of wisdom 
and knowledge. And the fact is, is that God 
gives it. Notice that in verse 6, the Lord 
gives wisdom. We saw that in our study in the 
book of James. What does James say? To those 
of you who lack wisdom, go enroll in the local college, buy a book 
on wisdom through amazon.com. Go ahead and fast and pray and 
spend hours up in the mountains trying to attain that wisdom. 
No, he says, ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without 
reproach. Might not be wrong to read a 
book on wisdom. Might not be wrong to enroll in a local college. But brethren, we go to the source 
of wisdom, and he gives to all liberally and without reproach. 
In other words, he doesn't upbraid us. He doesn't mock us. He doesn't 
say, wow, you're coming back again asking for wisdom. God 
is not like that. He is generous, He is kind, He 
is good, and He is, in fact, a giver of knowledge. But if 
you go back to Proverbs 3, with reference to this command, notice, 
not only the object of our trust, it's trust in the Lord, but the 
entirety of our trust. He says, trust in the Lord with 
all your heart. In other words, we're not supposed 
to be a divided people. We're not supposed to have one 
foot in Zion and one foot in the devil's parlor. We're not 
supposed to have one foot in Zion and one foot in the world. 
We're not supposed to be a people that are mixed and mingle. We 
are a people that are to be given wholly to our God. We are to 
trust in the Lord with all our heart. In other words, it is 
to be entire. This reminds one of the Shema 
in Deuteronomy 6, 4. Here, O Israel, the Lord our 
God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your 
God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your 
strength. The man of God is not only supposed 
to love God with all his heart, but he is to trust in God with 
all his heart. There's not to be division. There's 
not to be that sort of mingling. Gill says, the phrase denotes 
not so much the strength of faith as the sincerity of it. It signifies 
a faith unfamed. And I would suggest that even 
a weak faith could nevertheless be an entire faith. The idea 
here is that we are not divided with reference to our allegiance 
to God. You are to trust in the Lord 
with all your heart. Yes, for salvation, and then 
in all matters of life. The Lord is, in fact, trustworthy 
And the Lord himself is the source of wisdom and knowledge. Now 
note, secondly, the prohibition. He moves from the command, trust 
in the Lord with all your heart, now he gives a prohibition, and 
lean not on your own understanding. Lean not on your own understanding. So, look at the particular connection 
here. Our trust in Yahweh is to be 
entire with your whole heart, but it's also supposed to be 
exclusive. In other words, trust alone in 
Yahweh. Do not lean on your own understanding. The trust that we express with 
reference to the true and living God is entire, and it's also 
exclusive. Our trust, Bridges says, must 
not only be entire, but it must be exclusive. And there is this 
tendency in the people of God and certainly a tendency among 
the non-people of God to constantly lean on their own understanding. Now, just a few passages to highlight 
that Solomon recognizes the depravity of man. You can turn to Proverbs 
chapter 10. Proverbs chapter 10. We need to remind ourselves of 
the doctrine of total depravity as it pertains to the godless, 
but as a corollary, we need to understand the doctrine of remaining 
corruption as it pertains to the godly. But notice, just to 
see what Solomon thinks concerning sin. Proverbs 10.23, to do evil 
is like sport to a fool. Proverbs 11.3b, but the perversity 
of the unfaithful will destroy them. Proverbs 20 at verse 9, 
we'll be moving through many of these passages tonight. Proverbs 
chapter 20 at verse 9, who can say, I have made my heart clean, 
I am pure from my sin. That's the doctrine of depravity. There is that tendency in man 
to reject and resist God and to lean on his own understanding. Notice in Proverbs 21, 4, a haughty 
look, a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked are sin. In other words, everything he 
does. Proverbs 21.10, the soul of the wicked desires evil. His 
neighbor finds no favor in his eyes. And then Proverbs 30.11-14, 
often thought this really does characterize our own generation. But it wasn't unique to our own 
generation. But certainly, look at Proverbs 
30.11-14. There is a generation that curses 
its father and does not bless its mother. There is a generation 
that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its filthiness. 
There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes and their 
eyelids are lifted up. There is a generation whose teeth 
are like swords and whose fangs are like knives to devour the 
poor from off the earth and the needy from among men. So understanding 
this whole idea of total depravity with reference to the godless 
and remaining corruption with reference to the godly, we need 
to appreciate that temptation to lean on our own understanding. Now, I want to offer up three 
examples from Proverbs of how persons lean on their own understanding. In the first place, just an outright 
reliance on self. Just an outright reliance on 
self. I think this is the most narrow 
definition of lean not on your own understanding. It is to rely 
on yourself. It is to lean on your own understanding. It is to think that you are the 
measure of all things. It is to think that you are the 
source of wisdom and knowledge. It's not Yahweh. He's not the 
one that gives these things, but rather I know them and I 
know them better. Let's look at Proverbs 14, 12. 
Proverbs 14 12 there is a way that seems right to a man, but 
its end is the way of death and Proverbs 16 25 Essentially repeats 
that there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is 
the way of death Death. You see, this is what man is 
when he leans on his own understanding. There's a way that seems right 
unto him, and that way that seems right unto him involves violating 
God's law, lacking conformity unto God's law. doing those things 
that gratify His flesh, doing those things that the Father 
warns about in this particular book. The Father warns the Son 
about sexual immorality. The Father warns the Son about 
the harlot. The Father warns the Son about 
the immoral woman. And yet, what will some inevitably 
do? There's a way that seems right 
unto a man, but the end is death. As well, notice in Proverbs 11. 
Proverbs 11, just to see this reliance on self. Proverbs 11, 
specifically, Verses 3 and 6, the integrity of the upright 
will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy 
them. Riches do not profit in the day 
of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. The righteousness 
of the blameless will direct his way, but the wicked will 
fall by his own wickedness. The righteousness of the upright 
will deliver them, but the unfaithful will be caught by their lust." 
You see the contrast. The righteous does what God calls 
him to do. The righteous trusts in Yahweh 
with his heart. The righteous does not lean on 
his own understanding, but the unrighteous rejects Yahweh. He 
leans on his own understanding in the end therein. is death. 
That is what Solomon tells us. He is warning his sons with reference 
to this. Notice in verses 19 to 21 in 
Proverbs 11, as righteousness leads to life, so he who pursues 
evil pursues it to his own death. Those who are of a perverse heart 
are an abomination to the Lord, but the blameless in their ways 
are His delight. Though they join forces, the 
wicked will not go unpunished, but the posterity of the righteous 
will be delivered. And then verse 27 in that passage, 
he who earnestly seeks good finds favor, but trouble will come 
to him who seeks evil. You see the contrasting statements 
in terms of the righteous and the unrighteous. Well, the righteous 
are trusting in God with their heart. They're not leaning on 
their own understanding. The unrighteous rejects or resists 
God, and that person leans on his own understanding. Notice 
in Proverbs 12.1, whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, 
but he who hates correction is stupid. Notice Proverbs 12, 15 
to 16. The way of a fool is right in 
his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise. A fool's wrath 
is known at once, but a prudent man covers shame. And then Proverbs 
14, verse 29. Proverbs 14 and verse 29, he 
who is slow to wrath has great understanding, but he who is 
impulsive exalts folly. Jeremiah 17 is another passage 
we might mention. Cursed is the man who trusts 
in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the 
Lord. I think Bridges nails this, this whole idea of lean not on 
your own understanding. He says, it is nothing less than 
self-idolatry to conceive that we can carry on even the ordinary 
matters of the day without his counsel. Let me just repeat that 
because I think it's so important. Bridges says, it is nothing less 
than self-idolatry to conceive that we can carry on even the 
ordinary matters of the day without his counsel. In other words, Bridges is saying 
we're messed up and we need help. You know, most often, that's 
the place where repair begins, admitting that you're messed 
up and that you need help. I realize that sounds like AA, 
but it's a biblical concept. You need to realize you're messed 
up and that you need help. That's the bottom line. And Bridges 
says, to lean on your own understanding is nothing short of self-idolatry. He says, be in the habit of going 
to Him in the first place before self-will, self-pleasing, self-wisdom, 
human friends, convenience, expediency. So in terms of this lean not 
on your own understanding, there is this reliance on self. Secondly, 
I think it evidences itself through the rejection of godly parents. The rejection of godly parents. Turn back to Proverbs chapter 
1. Many of the admonitions that come, many of the exhortations 
that come are directed by a father to his son. Notice in Proverbs 
1, verse 10. My son, if sinners entice you, 
do not consent. It's the text I used to cite 
with my children when I dropped them off at school. I would tell 
them, if sinners entice you, do not consent. I always thought 
that was a good thing to sort of leave them with as they left 
my vehicle and went into the school. But it's a Christian 
school, yeah. My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. That 
is absolutely imperative. Notice as well, Proverbs 2, verse 
1. My son, if you receive my words 
and treasure my commands within you. Proverbs 3, verse 1. My son, do not forget my law, 
but let your heart keep my commands. Proverbs 3, verse 11, my son, 
do not despise the chastening of the Lord. Proverbs 4, verse 
1, hear my children, the instruction of a father, and give attention 
to no understanding. Proverbs 4, verse 10, hear my 
son and receive my sayings. Proverbs 4, verse 20. My son, give attention to my 
words. Incline your ear to my sayings. Proverbs 5, verse 1. My son, 
pay attention to my wisdom. Lend your ear to my understanding. 
Proverbs 5, verse 7. Therefore, hear me now, my children, 
and do not depart from the words of my mouth. There, specifically, 
the context with reference to sexual immorality. You see, God 
has put parents over you. And a reliance on self oftentimes 
includes a rejection of godly parents. You need to fight against 
that tendency, fight and resist that tendency to lean on your 
own understanding. Praise God you have Christian 
parents, and praise God that they're telling you the right 
things to do. And pray to God that he will give you hearing 
ears so that you'll obey what your parents say. Children, obey 
your parents in the Lord, for this is right. So when we look 
at this whole idea of lean not on your own understanding, certainly 
there is reliance on self. Certainly there is a rejection 
of godly parents. But then thirdly, there is a 
reception of ungodly influence. The reception of ungodly influence. Notice in Proverbs 13. Proverbs 
13, verse 20. There's a doctrine of bad company 
corrupting in the book of Proverbs, and we need to appreciate that. Proverbs 13, 20, he who walks 
with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be 
destroyed. Isn't that just beautifully simple? Why don't you want me hanging 
out with that person? Because they're fools and you'll 
be destroyed. It just doesn't get any easier, 
does it? You see, this whole idea of resisting or rejecting 
rather godly parents, relying on oneself, oftentimes ends with 
persons relying as well on ungodly influence. And Solomon highlights 
that. Notice in Proverbs 23 at verse 
17. Proverbs 23, 17, do not let your heart envy sinners, but 
be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day, for surely 
there is a hereafter and your hope will not be cut off. You 
see the gist of this passage. Don't envy. Sinners don't look 
around and see what they've got and say, wow, I'd like to have 
that too. No, you need to fear God. You 
need to be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day. For 
surely there is a hereafter and your hope will not be cut off. 
In other words, do not be obsessed with immediate gratification. 
Oh, they're having fun right now. I've got to jump on that 
bandwagon and do whatever it is they do. No! You need to be 
zealous for the Lord, fear the Lord every day, all the day, 
because there is a hereafter. Serving God does pay off, not 
in a, you know, weird Benny Hinn sort of way, but there is a blessing 
to be had with the people of God, and it's oftentimes caught 
up in a future orientation. In other words, we're like Moses. 
We would rather suffer affliction with the people of God than to 
enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. This is Solomon's point. Do not let your heart envy sinners. 
Don't be caught up with jealousy on what they've got. Don't look 
at them and be allured into that specific situation, but rather 
resist it. Fear God always. Notice in Proverbs 
23, 19 to 21. Hear my son and be wise and guide 
your heart in the way. Do not mix with wine-bibbers 
or with gluttonous eaters of meat. For the drunkard and the 
glutton will come to poverty and drowsiness will clothe a 
man with rags. It's good counsel, isn't it? Don't hang out with 
that group of people. Lean not on your own understanding. 
You don't have the wherewithal to choose the best people that 
you ought to spend the most time with. Notice Proverbs 24, verses 
1 and 2. Do not be envious of evil men, 
nor desire to be with them, for their heart devises violence 
and their lips talk of troublemaking. So we need to understand the 
reception of ungodly influences is, again, to leaning on our 
own understanding. You know what's ironic? And you 
know what's sad? And you know what's a bit pathetic? 
Is that Solomon's own son, Rehoboam, did not take this counsel. Solomon's 
son Rehoboam in 1 Kings chapter 12, at the division of the kingdom, 
Rehoboam was challenged by a man named Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. 
And Rehoboam says, let me seek some counsel. And he first appeals 
to the godly elders that had stood in the presence of the 
wisest man that had ever lived, namely Solomon. He hears their 
counsel, and then he calls for his friends. He calls for the 
youths. He calls for his contemporaries. And he says, what would you have 
me to do? And guess who he sides with? 
He does not side with the godly elders in terms of what he will 
speak to Israel. And it was a mess. It was terrible. Certainly it was consistent with 
God's plan and purpose to bring that division, to bring that 
judgment upon the house of Israel. But from a human standpoint, 
what Rehoboam did was directly contrary to what Solomon had 
taught him to do. So we see the command, we see 
the prohibition. Now thirdly and finally, let's 
look at the exhortation. The exhortation in Proverbs 3. 
He says, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your 
paths. In all your ways acknowledge 
Him and He shall direct your paths. So, notice we move from 
an entire commitment to God to an exclusive commitment to God, 
and now an exhaustive commitment to God. In all your ways, acknowledge 
Him. Not some of your ways, not your 
Sunday ways, not your religious life ways, but in your business 
ethics, in your family, in your responsibility to civil government, 
in your job, in your employer-employee relationships, 
in your society, in your neighborhood, in all your ways acknowledge 
Him. We are not to be the sorts of people that pick and choose 
wherein we will show allegiance to God. The Lord God is most 
high. The Lord God has absolute authority 
over us. And it is both our responsibility 
and, dare I say, our great privilege to acknowledge Him in all our 
ways, trusting that He shall indeed direct our paths. So, 
all matters of faith and practice all require us to acknowledge 
God. The word literally, in all your 
ways, know Him. be acquainted with Him, understand 
Him. It's the simple word, know, the 
way it's used so beautifully in Scripture. Let not the wise 
man boast of his wisdom or the rich man boast of his riches, 
but let him who boasts, boasts that he knows Yahweh. And so 
what Solomon says, in all your ways know Him. How do we know 
Him? It's not by direct revelation. It's not by shimmying up Mount 
Sham, eating locusts and wild honey and waiting for a sign. 
It's through that thing that's open in your lap. It's through 
the word of God. It's through scripture. It's 
through prayer. It's through meditation. We are to know God. And this is what Solomon says. 
Charles Bridges comments. He says, now, if we be weaned 
from the idolatry of making our bosom our oracle and our heart 
our counselor, If in true poverty of spirit we go every morning 
to our Lord as knowing not how to guide ourselves for this day, 
our eye constantly looking upward for direction, the light will 
come down. I love that. Our eye constantly 
looking upward for direction, the light will come down. Those who seek me will find me, 
God says. Bridges continues, he shall direct 
thy paths. He says, we want no new revelations 
or visible tokens. Study the word with prayer. You see, this is achievable or 
attainable. The command, trust in the Lord 
with all your heart. The prohibition, lean not on 
your own understanding. And then the exhortation, in 
all your ways know Him. That's not esoteric. That's not 
just for the few that are the enlightened. That's not just 
for the doctors or the reverends or the whoever's in the church. 
It's for all of us. In all your ways, know Him. We 
have a way, we have an issue, we have a situation. We search 
the scriptures to find God's Word. We search the scriptures 
with reference to explicit texts. This is the way I think we ought 
to approach the Bible. When we come to a particular 
situation, we look for explicit texts. For instance, should I 
go out and murder? No, there's an explicit text 
that forbids Murder. You see, that's how you get your 
answers from the Word of God. It's not sort of rolling the 
dice or trying to read tea leaves. Now, there might be implicit 
answers. Should I drink and drive? Well, 
you know, in the Old Testament, there was the case of the goring 
ox. And if the master knew that the 
ox had the tendency to go out and gore, then the master of 
the ox, or rather the owner of the ox, was liable to the death 
penalty if his ox got out and gored. That ought to inform my 
mind with reference to drinking and driving. If I go out and 
operate a motor vehicle under, and I'm not suggesting, you know, 
that we even think about this. I'm trying to illustrate the 
point. We move from explicit, don't murder, to implicit. Does 
the Bible comment on drunk driving? No, not necessarily and specifically, 
but the goring ox certainly shows a bit of sort of similarity and 
analogy and responsibility. You see, there's other things 
in life, there might not be an explicit text, the implication 
might not be so readily obvious, so then we look for various principles. 
We look for what does God's Word say in terms of some general 
overarching principles to a particular issue or to a particular situation. 
You see, brethren, it's not magic. It's not hocus-pocus. The Bible 
isn't a holy horseshoe. The Bible isn't, you know, tea 
leaves. The Bible isn't those lines on your hands that people 
read sometimes to tell you if you're going to live long. The 
Bible is a book that is given to us by God, and God's equipped 
us with a mind. He's made us in His image. One 
of the primary aspects of that image-bearing is that we're rational 
humans, we're rational beings. We take our minds, our hearts, 
our souls, our strength to the scriptures, and we ask God, what 
should I do in this given situation? Now, if you think that sounds 
like too much work, then, you know, go be a Buddhist and just 
wear an orange robe and hum. I mean, this just isn't a lot 
of work. This is what we ought to do. 
What does Paul say in Romans chapter 12? He tells us we're 
to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, which is what? There's 
many ways you could translate the word. Some translate it, 
which is your spiritual service, which is your rational service, 
which is your reasonable service. In other words, the apostle's 
argument seems to go this way. If what I've written in Romans 
1 to 11 is true, and of course, Paul would say that it's true 
because he wrote it under inspiration of the Holy Spirit. If the gospel 
is true, If you were a guilty, vile, wretched, hell-deserving 
sinner for whom Jesus died, whom God justified by grace through 
faith in Christ Jesus, based on the federal headship of Christ, 
according to Romans 5, if you've received the Holy Spirit, if 
all of these things are true of you, if it's all according 
to the electing purposes and predestinating plan of God, then 
you present in your bodies as a living sacrifice That's reasonable. Do you follow the drift? If God 
has done this, then it's reasonable that you give him everything. 
And so brethren, when it comes to in all your ways acknowledge 
him, don't whine, don't snivel, don't cry and don't complain, 
open your Bibles and read. And then notice the incentive. I mean, God incentivizes us. He doesn't have to, just acknowledge 
me is sufficient. But notice what Solomon says 
in verse 6, "...in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall 
direct your paths." He shall direct your paths. And I want 
to just sketch or highlight or illustrate some of the ways that 
God highlights or rather directs our paths, the way that God is 
present in our lives. Solomon shows that he's a great 
theologian in 1 Kings 8. When he dedicates the temple, 
he gives, in terms of his prayer, a foundation. And the foundation 
of his prayer is what's called theology proper, or a doctrine 
of God. And in that particular expression 
of his theology proper, he highlights two things about God that we 
should always keep in mind. God is transcendent. That means 
God is removed from us. God is wholly other. God is not 
like us. You'll oftentimes hear Pastor 
Porter or myself say, he is not in the same sort of order of 
being that we are. He is creator, we are creature. 
He is transcendent. Well, Solomon upholds that in 
Proverbs. Notice the creator-creature distinction 
in Proverbs 3.19. The Lord, by wisdom, founded 
the earth. By understanding, he established 
the heavens. By his knowledge, the depths 
were broken up and clouds dropped down the dew. In other words, 
Solomon acknowledges that God made the world and all things 
in it by the word of his power in the space of six days, and 
all very good. Solomon acknowledges the transcendence 
of God. But in 1 Kings 8, his theology 
proper, and in the book of Proverbs, Solomon also recognizes what's 
called the imminence of God. And the imminence of God means 
that he's near to us. He is present with us. He is 
in the trenches there with us. Yea, though I walk through the 
valley of the shadow of death, thou art with me. We always have 
our God present. Our God, the creator, the blessed 
and holy one of Israel is nevertheless present with his people in their 
various paths of life. And the book of Proverbs highlights 
that eminence of God. It highlights specifically his 
goodness. It highlights very particularly that he does direct 
paths. Notice Proverbs 3, 11, and 12. 
My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction. 
For whom the Lord loves, He corrects, just as a father the son in whom 
he delights. It's one of the means by which 
He directs our paths, isn't it? We need our paths directed in 
this manner, the same way that parental authority often directs 
the paths of inferiors with corporal punishment. In other words, there 
are times when correction upon an erring son or an erring daughter 
is a blessing to keep them on the right path. Well, Yahweh, 
our God, does that. In all your ways, acknowledge 
Him, and He shall direct your paths. Notice in Proverbs 3, 
33b. Well, again, the contrast. Verse 
33, the curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, but 
He blesses, notice, the home of the just. The Lord blesses 
the home of the just. You want blessing on your home? Be just, justified freely by 
grace, obviously, in our Lord Jesus Christ, but be a man, a 
woman, a boy, and a girl who are seeking to honor God in all 
your ways. Notice his favor upon those who 
seek wisdom, Christ speaking as wisdom in Proverbs 8, verse 
35. For whoever finds me finds life 
and obtains favor from the Lord. His temporal provision, notice 
in Proverbs 10, 3. The Lord will not allow the righteous 
soul to famish, but he casts away the desire of the wicked. And then again in verse 22. This 
is all expressions of, or manifestations of, or evidences to the fact 
that God directs the paths of His people. In all your ways 
acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Notice in 
Proverbs 10... I'm sorry, Proverbs 10.22, the 
blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with 
it. Notice his favor toward the good, 
Proverbs 12, 2. A good man obtains favor from 
the Lord, but a man of wicked intentions he will condemn. Notice 
his protection afforded to his people, Proverbs 14, 26 and 27. In the fear of Yahweh, there 
is strong confidence and his children will have a place of 
refuge. The fear of Yahweh is a fountain of life to turn one 
away from the snares of death. And then, of course, in that 
vein, this idea of protection, notice in Proverbs 18. Proverbs 
18.10, the name of Yahweh is a strong tower. The righteous 
run to it and are safe. Note God's care for the widow 
back in Proverbs 15. Again, just sketching how the 
paths of man are under the purview of God and how the Lord directs 
the paths of his people according to his will And this indeed incentivizes 
us to acknowledge him in all of our ways. Notice in 1525, 
he says, the Lord will destroy the house of the proud, but he 
will establish the boundary of the widow. You see, he is a champion 
of the defenseless. He's a champion of the widow 
and orphan. He's a champion and defender 
of the most marginalized among us. Notice his provision of intellectual 
stability in Proverbs 16, 3. Commit your works to the Lord 
and your what? Your thoughts will be established. Commit your works to the Lord 
and your thoughts will be established. Notice his vindication of the 
poor, Proverbs 22. Proverbs 22, 22 and 23, do not 
rob the poor because he is poor, nor oppress the afflicted at 
the gate, for the Lord will plead their cause and plunder the soul 
of those who plunder them. And then his provision of justice, 
Proverbs 25, 21 and 22, if your enemy is hungry, give him bread 
to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for 
so you will heat coals of fire on his head, and the Lord will 
reward you." And again in Proverbs 29, 26. Many seek the ruler's 
favor, but justice for man comes from the Lord. You see, in all 
your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths. And this ultimately, finally 
results in the blessedness of man. In other words, what's the 
path to true happiness in life? It's not leaning on your own 
understanding. It's not rejecting trust in Yahweh. It's not surrounding 
yourself with fools, winebibbers, and gluttonous eaters of meat. 
Those aren't the pathway, or those aren't the sort of stepping 
stones to a happy life. True happiness for the creature 
is what? It's the presence of his creator. The true blessing 
of man is ultimately in his God. You know, the Westminster Shorter 
Catechism starts there. What is the chief end of man? 
Man's chief end is to what? It's to glorify God and to enjoy 
Him forever. You know, the catechism of the 
21st century would be, what is the chief end of man? Well, man's 
chief end is to go to this university, it's to secure this particular 
position, it's to have this minivan, it's to have this wife, it's 
to have this, you know, 2.3 children, it's to have the dog, it's to 
have the cat, it's to have the whatever. You know, that's not... 
the way it's supposed to be. The chief end of man is to glorify 
God and to enjoy Him forever. That's the chief end of man. 
And when we, by grace, trust in the Lord with all our heart 
and do not lean on our own understanding, in all our ways we acknowledge 
Him, we know the favor of God. Turn to Proverbs 11. Proverbs 
chapter 11. Verse 20, those who are of a 
perverse heart are an abomination to the Lord, but the blameless 
in their ways are his delight. It's not a great concept to be 
the delight of God. What makes God happy? And again, 
it's speaking in the manner of men. God is eternally always 
blessed in and of himself. This is an expression to us to 
show us something true concerning God. He is pleased with his people. Notice in Proverbs 12, 22, Proverbs 
12, 22, lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal 
truthfully are what? They're His delights. Isn't that 
a beautiful concept? You could actually be the delight 
of God. It's a tough concept, isn't it? Me? I'm not a delight to anybody. Why in the world would God delight 
in me? Because He's God, and He's good, and He's excellent. 
Proverbs 15, 8b. Proverbs 15, 8b. Don't read 8a, 
because we're going to come back to 8a. But look at 15, 8b. But the prayer of the upright 
is His delight. I've always thought that this 
would be a great incentive to pray as well. Isn't that a great 
incentive to pray? Well, why should I pray? God's 
sovereign. He already knows what I want. Well, He commands you 
to pray. It's an expression of your dependence upon God. And 
it's His delight. Don't you like to please your 
spouse? Well, you know, not really. Again, repent, forsake your wickedness. The whole idea of being married 
is seeking to please your spouse. You're in communion with the 
living God. What ought to be your aim? To glorify Him, to 
please Him, to bring delight to Him. Why would you rob Him 
of prayer? Why if God says he loves it when 
his children pray, you don't pray? Why do you neglect the 
closet? Why do you neglect the corporate 
prayer meeting? Why neglect the family altar? Why is it that 
we are a prayerless people when God delights in the prayer of 
the upright? If this is a real tangible way 
we can make God happy, then we certainly ought to be about it. 
In other words, we pray because God commands it, we pray because 
it expresses our dependence upon God, and we pray because He delights 
in it. And you can kind of get it when 
you see the human analogy, can't you? Don't you love it when your 
kids talk to you? Isn't that good? Again, it's 
kind of overrated. Again, repent, forsake your sin. It's great. You know, the kids 
come home, they're little, they're bubbly, they're happy, they want 
to see you. It's a good thing. I love coming to church on Sunday 
and the grandkids running over and giving me a hug. That's good. That's a delight. When they talk 
to me, I don't say, oh, I don't want to hear it. It's a drudgery. 
No, talk to me. Tell me about your rocks. We 
went and found some gems yesterday. I don't think they're real gems 
or gem just means that's where they were rocks that look nice. 
And the grandkids, the boys got some. And you know, what'd you 
do with your rocks? Did you throw them in the water? 
No, no, I put them on my dresser. They're great. They look good. 
I want to hear that. It's a delight. Why would we 
rob God of something that we can actually do to please him? We don't have a lot in our wheelhouse 
in terms of being able to please God, do we? There's not like 
this long list of options. Okay, I can do this, that, and 
the other. I can pray. Every single one of us can pray, 
and yet we don't. And then notice in 15.9b, but 
he loves him who follows righteousness. Now, I didn't want to read the 
contrasting parts in chapter 15, because not only do we see 
God's favor and hence the blessedness of man, but we ought to see the 
contrast with the wicked. God despises his sacrifice. Notice in 15.8a, the sacrifice 
of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. The way of the wicked, 
verse 9a, is an abomination to the Lord. The thoughts of the 
wicked are an abomination to the Lord, verse 26a. And the Lord is far from the 
wicked, according to verse 29. Now, far from the wicked doesn't 
mean that God cuts off His omnipresence or His imminence with reference 
to the wicked. He is present in terms of nearness, 
but it has to do with communion. It has to do with familiarity. 
Yahweh is far from the wicked. And then it goes on to say, but 
He is there. where he hears, rather, the prayer 
of the righteous. Well, brethren, that is the command, 
the prohibition, and the exhortation. And I want to highlight, again, 
the emphasis in the text. It demands entire commitment 
with all your heart. There's to be no division of 
heart in our service to God. Again, this is not natural for 
us, and even in a state of grace with remaining corruption, we 
need to pray, God, increase my entirety of heartness with reference 
to trusting in Yahweh. Matthew 12, 30, the Lord Jesus 
Christ said, He who is not with me is against me. 1 Kings 18, 
21, the prophet Elijah lays down the challenge. If Baal is God, 
serve him. If Yahweh is God, serve him. 
How long will you falter between two options? In other words, 
don't try to have a bit of Baal and a bit of Yahweh. Rather, 
give your heart fully to the Lord God Most High. As well, 
it's to be an exclusive commitment. Lean not on your own understanding. We need to reject all rival objects 
of guidance and direction, certainly. wine-bibbers and gluttonous eaters 
of meat, certainly fools that will only lead us down a path 
of destruction, certainly we embrace the good and godly counsel 
of our parents, and certainly we are acknowledging Yahweh in 
all of our ways, which brings us to that exhaustive commitment, 
in all your ways acknowledge Him. Remember that all of life 
is lived before the eye of God. As well, we need to be encouraged 
by this particular text. Just again, ponder the last statement 
there. And he shall direct your paths. Isn't that good news? You're 
not serving Baal. Baal doesn't have eyes. that 
he sees with. He doesn't have ears that he 
hears with. He doesn't have a mouth that 
he speaks with. He has no nose with which to smell. Baal is 
a dumb, dead idol. Yahweh is the true and living 
God. He is in the heavens. He does whatever he pleases. 
And he pleases to direct the paths of his people who seek 
him on a regular basis. And then the fact that Yahweh 
displays. Now, I want to try and show you 
this. The fact that Yahweh displays 
this same sort of commitment to his people. In other words, 
God's not asking us for entire, exclusive, exhaustive commitment, 
while he himself is somewhat disinterested in us. or while 
he himself just deportions out a little bit to his people. No, the Lord our God is most 
glorious. The Lord our God responds to 
his people entirely, exclusively, and exhaustively. Our confession 
of faith describes God in this way, and I think it's most glorious. It says that He's most holy, 
most wise, most free, most absolute. Now, if you think back to the 
scripture reading in Jonah chapter 3, and I may have alluded to 
it along the way in this sermon, I said that God is immutable. 
That means He does not change. He cannot change. I also said 
that God is impassable, that God does not go through emotional 
change. Well, the fact that he's immutable 
and impassable led to this formulation. Again, he can't be most if he's 
subject to change. Most means, get this, it means 
most. There's no growth, there's no 
diminishment. There's no increase, there is 
no taking away. The Lord our God is most holy, 
most wise, most free, most absolute, working all things according 
to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will for His 
own glory, most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant 
in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and 
sin, the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Now, you 
may struggle with this idea that He's entirely and exclusively 
and exhaustively committed to us. God's able to do that because 
He is a most pure spirit. He is pure act. He's not parceled 
out among the rabble. He doesn't give you 33 and a 
third percent, you 33 and a third percent, you 33 percent. All 
that God is, He is for each and every one of His people. He's 
not a compounded being. He's not put together in parts. He's not spent at the end of 
the day. He isn't weary. He doesn't need 
rest. He doesn't need sleep. He doesn't 
need to go on vacation. He never undergoes burnout. He's 
never too tired to deal with his people. When you pray to 
God, you don't get a piece of his attention. You get all of 
God. All that is in God is God, and 
that is all available for his people. So it's not outlandish 
for me to suggest that God's commitment to you and I is entire. It's exclusive. It's exhaustive. Now, if you say, well, that's 
a theological construction. We need to see that in the Bible. 
Please turn to the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah the prophet, Jeremiah 
32. Jeremiah 32 is a promise of the 
new covenant, what God intends to do with reference to His people. Now, it's spoken in an Old Covenant 
context, so there's some language that is appropriate to that Old 
Covenant context, but the promises are with reference to the coming 
of our Lord Jesus Christ and His incarnation in His work of 
redemption to gather His people together in that glorious church. Notice in Jeremiah 32, 36, now, 
therefore, thus Excuse me, says the Lord, the 
God of Israel concerning this city of which you say it shall 
be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, 
by the famine and by the pestilence. Behold, I will gather them out 
of all countries where I've driven them in my anger and my fury 
and in great wrath. I will bring them back to this 
place and I will cause them to dwell safely. They shall be my 
people and I will be their God. Then I will give them one heart 
and one way that they may fear me forever for the good of them 
and their children after them. And I will make an everlasting 
covenant with them that I will not turn away from doing them 
good, but I will put my fear in their hearts so that they 
will not depart from me. Yes, now notice this language. 
I will rejoice over them, to do them good, and I will assuredly 
plant them in this land." Notice the language, with all my heart 
and with all my soul. Brethren, when you or I pray 
to God, we don't get just a little bit. It's not the case that he's 
answering calls in China. We come to him here in North 
America and he says, hang on, I've got to deal with this lot 
over here. And all that God is, he is to 
all of us. Get it out of your head that 
he's somehow divided. Get it out of your head that 
he's like us. Get it out of your head that 
he can't multitask. Get it out of your head that 
he can't always be all that he is to all of his people in the 
same way. But I got God on a good day. Tuesdays are the best. Go to 
God on Tuesday. You seem to get whatever it is 
you want. That's not how we're supposed to think of God. God 
is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, 
holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. He doesn't change. 
He doesn't fluctuate. He doesn't get better. He doesn't 
get worse. He is most. And as most, He gives Himself 
to His people entirely, exclusively, and exhaustively. Now, again, 
that doesn't mean we exhaust him, and it doesn't mean we somehow 
mess with him. The point is, he's not asking 
us to do something in Proverbs 3, 5 to 6, that he is not willing 
and able to do for us. Well, brethren, I hope this is 
an encouragement. Certainly Proverbs 3, 5, and 6 speaks to a whole 
world and life view. We are to take every thought 
captive to the obedience of Christ. We are to see that all our ways 
are before God. We ought to see the absolute 
necessity of trusting in Him with all our heart, leaning not 
on our own understanding, but acknowledging Him and thus knowing 
that He will direct our steps. Well, let us pray. Father, thank 
You for Your Word, and thank You for Your grace, and thank 
You for the fact that You are all that our Bible says You are. And help us to not approach You 
in a piecemeal fashion. Help us not to think that You 
are a divided or a compounded being or that You are made up 
of God parts, help us to recognize that you are indeed pure spirit, 
and what you are, you are for the good of your people. May 
this be an encouragement to us, may it be a means of help to 
us, and may we as well appreciate this text, and may we, by the 
power of the Holy Spirit, seek to put it into practice. And 
again, forgive us that we so often fall short, forgive us 
that we so often don't acknowledge you in all our ways, Help us, 
Lord God, to repent, but help us as well to rejoice in the 
fact that our Lord Jesus Christ kept all the demands of God's 
law, that he died on our behalf, that he rose again. And may this 
not diminish our desire to do what you call us to do, but may 
it empower it. May you encourage us. May the 
grace of the gospel be the impetus to pursue holiness in our lives. 
Go with us now, we pray, and grant us help and strength and 
grace. And we ask in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.