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 paths. —Proverbs 3:5-6

We exist to glorify God and to do His will. But how do we know what He wants us to do? In this verse, Solomon gives us three steps to discovering God’s will for our lives.

First, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.” You will not always understand what God is doing— or why. You have to put your full and complete trust in Him.

Secondly, “Lean not on your own understanding.” I am amazed at all of the strategy sessions that are called by church councils to try to organize outreach programs in the most logical, appealing way. The will of God is not discovered in planning sessions but in prayer meetings.

Thirdly, “In all your ways acknowledge Him.” Don’t make a decision until you have first inquired of the Lord.

God leads in very simple, natural ways.

Though we would prefer to hear God’s will first— so we can decide whether or not we like it— that’s not how God leads. You don’t usually hear an angel singing and gesturing you to follow in a certain direction. Just live your life committed to Him; trust Him, and acknowledge Him when you have an impulse to move in one direction or another. When you do this, then “He shall direct your path.”

Lord, we offer our bodies and our lives as instruments through which You can work to accomplish Your will on the earth. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.