Proverbs 3:5–6 (NIV)
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
At its core, the passage is about wisdom, not as something acquired through intelligence, education, or experience alone, but as something that flows out of a right relationship with God.
For me, this passage is a reminder that wisdom does not come from being well-read or well-informed, even though those things have value. Real wisdom comes from trusting God rather than relying on my own reasoning. That is not always comfortable. I tend to believe that if I think long enough or analyze deeply enough, I can figure things out. This passage pushes back against that instinct. It says that understanding begins with trust, not control.
What I need to do is seek God first, not as a last resort after my own ideas fail. His answers may not align with my expectations, and they may even contradict with what feels logical to me at the time. But God sees what I cannot. His perspective is broader, deeper, and far more reliable than my own. Trusting him is not a loss of independence. It is the beginning of real wisdom.