Read Proverbs 3:5-6…Let’s break this down…To trust in the Lord whole-heartedly means one should not rely (lean) on his own understanding.
Ask about relying on our own understanding: What would it mean to rely on your own understanding?…According to these verses, human insights are not enough for us. We are told that God’s ways are incomprehensible, meaning that they are not able to be understood.
Read Isaiah 55:8-9…Even though we try to understand completely who God is via prayer, reading the Bible, etc, we still fall short to knowing everything about Him. Simply, God is incomprehensible, indescribable, and unfathomable. He is a different being than us, with different thoughts and different ways/actions. How can we completely understand someone that is entirely different from us; someone that we will not fully understand?
Read Romans 11:33-34…God reveals bits and pieces of his judgements and paths so that the people may know them, but it is humanly impossible to exhaust them and completely understand them alone.
Ask about paths: What are some of these paths that He has shown parts of?…We know that Jesus will return again (Read Hebrews 9:28). We know that each of us have strengths that can be used to serve God on Earth (Read James 3:1-2). We know that the end-times are near (Read Matthew 24:5-8). We know that God is watering the seeds that we sow (Read James 5: 7-12). We know that God will judge each and every one of us, granting salvation to those who put their faith in Christ (Read Isaiah 33:22).
Talk about God as the Designer: Additionally, God is the sole designer of His wise plan. There is no one that fully understands His mind, and there is no one that gives Him advice. His deep ways are beyond man’s discovering (Romans 11:33), beyond man’s knowing (Romans 11:34), beyond man’s counseling (Romans 11:34) and beyond man’s giving. In other words, do not worry too much about completely understanding God’s plan. While on Earth, we will never fully understand (Read 1 Corinthians 12:12). If we rely solely on our own puny human understanding, we will remain confused and annoyed. In other words, what has been provided to us about God’s Will and God’s Ways is all that we need to know and all that we will understand. The rest of it will remain a mystery. Additionally, we are asked to trust and have faith that the purpose is a good purpose.
Ask about understanding: What does it mean to live a life with our limited understanding of God’s plan? Should we worry whether our choices are part of God’s plan?
Ask about limitations: What can we base our limited knowledge on when making decisions?… Ask yourself, “Can this decision that I make honor God?” “Am I doing this out of selfish gain?”
Ask about selfish gain: How can I ensure that the decisions I am making aren’t out of selfish gain?… Pray for that specifically. God can Help you align your heart and mind in the right spot. He will show you! Test Him! Ask Him to lead you. Don’t be afraid when making decisions.
Read Psalm 119:33-40…What is this prayer asking for?… It asks God for understanding, for God to direct us in the right path, and for God to turn our hearts towards Him rather than towards worthless things.
Ask about making decisions: Is God asking that we may make a mistake that will go against God’s Will in making every-day decisions?… Ex. To not change your major to business or environmental studies or to pick a certain job over another. Nope, He wants us to examine ourselves, focusing on our heart and mindset through the choices that we make and whether our motives are for God.
Read Proverbs 3:6…What does it mean to completely submit to God? Does this mean that we should worry?
Read Matthew 6:25-34
Talk about worry: Do not worry, for God is in control and has a greater purpose for our life, sometimes His Greater Purpose is out of our range of understanding. Even though faith in God appears to be blind faith, we must recognize that it is not truly blind faith. God’s footprint is everywhere. We see it in the complexity of mankind, the beauty in nature, the power of positive change brought by the Holy Spirit in someone’s life, and the power of His Grace in our lives.
Final Thought-Provoking Questions:
- What does it mean and/or look like to have a clear answer from God? How often do you think this happens or should happen?
- Why should we attempt to understand a being completely different from us?
- Why should we trust someone that we cannot completely understand?
- How do we know for certain if the decisions we make are part of God’s will?
- What does it mean for God to direct our path?