Teaching Tuesday: Walking in Wisdom - Proverbs 3:1-6

Series: Walking in Wisdom
Sermon: Wisdom for Understanding - Proverbs 3:1-6 (9.21.25)
Watch the messages HERE. 

“My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity. Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. 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.” - Proverbs 3:1-6 

Life constantly confronts us with decisions, challenges, and uncertainties. We naturally try to lean on our own wisdom—our plans, strategies, and understanding of how things should unfold. But Proverbs 3:1–6 reminds us that true wisdom begins with surrender: trusting God wholly and obeying him fully.

Notice that the passage begins with a call to remember God’s commands. Forgetfulness is one of our greatest spiritual struggles. We may know what God says, but in the moment of trial we often default to self-reliance. Solomon urges us to keep God’s word close—to “write it on the tablet of your heart.” This isn’t a casual reminder; it’s a deliberate choice to let scripture shape our decisions, priorities, and responses. To let scripture shape us, we have to first know what it says. This requires time in the word, alone and in group settings like MCC small groups. 

Then comes the famous call: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Trusting God wholly means there are no backup plans where we quietly rely on ourselves “just in case.” It means believing God is wise when we don’t understand, good when his ways aren’t obvious to us, and faithful when our circumstances suggest otherwise. Our natural tendency is to lean on what we can figure out—but God asks us to rest the full weight of our confidence on him.

Obedience flows from this trust. “In all your ways submit to him.” The word “all” doesn’t leave room for partial obedience. It includes our work, our relationships, our finances, our future plans. Obedience isn’t simply avoiding sin—it’s actively aligning every part of our lives with God’s will. Earlier this year, in our series on Ephesians, we said the best definition for the word “submit” in the Bible is usually “cooperate.” Proverbs is telling us to actively cooperate with the way of God. And when we do, the promise follows: “He will make your paths straight.” This doesn’t mean life will always be easy, but it does mean God himself will guide us, protect us, and lead us exactly where we need to be.

The gospel shows us that - as in all things - Jesus is our model. He trusted the Father wholly and obeyed him fully, even to the cross. Because he did, we now have both the example and the power to live the same way. Trust is not blind—it’s based on the proven character of God. Obedience is not a burden—it’s the joyful response of hearts that know God’s commands are for our good.

Today, ask yourself: Where are you tempted to lean on your own understanding? What area of life have you held back from full obedience? Surrender it to God. Trust him wholly. Obey him fully. He is worthy, and he will make your path straight.

Prayer:
Lord, help me to trust you with all my heart and to submit all my ways to you. Teach me to obey you fully, not holding anything back. Thank you that when I trust and obey, you lead me in paths of peace and righteousness. In Jesus’s name, amen.

TO KNOW GOD AND TO MAKE HIM KNOWN! 

- Pastor Brady