Proverbs 3:6 “in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths “
I remember when a local radio station opened up in our town. It was so exciting for our small town to have its own radio station. I started dreaming about what it might be like if we could have a programme each week to showcase Christian music. I talked to a few of the older men in our church to sound them out and they were encouraging. I had a passion for contemporary Christian music and really believed that if we could connect people to these artists it would change their views on Christianity – which a lot of people in our town saw as a bit dated and irrelevant.
I prayed about this for a week or two, then I called the radio station and asked if I could meet the manager as I had a suggestion for a programme. I was given an appointment for the following week.
When we met that week and I proposed a Christian radio show, his immediate reaction was to shake his head and so “no. Sorry, that won’t work for us”. I genuinely thought that maybe the conversation was over at that point. As I kept talking with him, I was praying frantically on the inside. I said to him, “we would only focus on the things that we agree on as Christians, and that we were interested in community and unity”. He paused and seemed to think for a while and then the atmosphere seemed to change.
At the end of our conversation, he paused, looked me in the eye, and said “when can you start”. A week later I started what was to be a 21-year journey of Christian Music on local radio, of building a team, leading great interviews, playing the very best Christian music, engaging with our community, and having so many unforgettable moments.
KNOWLEDGE
This scripture is such a great summary of the life of a prosperous [ethically successful] person. Firstly there is the directive that captures universal guidance, in “all our ways”. There is no room for manoeuvre, no grounds for bargaining, and no opportunity for negotiation. Think of your ways just now – how you think, how you speak, how you act, and how you interact. How do they stack up? There are areas of tension in everyone’s life, unmet needs, unsatisfied desires, unfulfilled dreams, unrealised vision. Think of your life just now, which of these are very real to you today? In these areas, how are you discerning, discovering, and dialoguing with God?
Bring all the areas of your life, the great areas where everything is well, the tricky areas where you can’t see a clear way ahead, and the difficult areas where there is a possibility for anxiety or fear to find a toehold, bring them all to the feet of Jesus. Humbly hand them over as you sit at his feet. Release them to Him today, allow His words to guide your decisions and actions, seek His guidance with everything you have.
Get up early to seek Him, stay up late, sing prophecy over yourself, speak scripture over your day and your future, deliberately look for acts of kindness and undertake them with wholehearted devotion. Bring all your ways under his banner of love, let your speech be a river of life to yourself and to others. God is straightening your paths, removing the kinks, making the shortest route for you to your next blessing, your next promotion, your next God encounter, and your next season. Why would you not live this way?
UNDERSTANDING
Let’s pick one word from this verse to look closer at and see if that can help us gain a deeper insight into how God would love us to live?
For us, “straight” paths is the outcome. The word “straight” is from the Hebrew “yasar” which is used 25 times in the Old Testament and is translated as, please; right; straight; applied; directed; make all; good; and, upright. For our understanding here, we see the meaning to be along the lines of a way that is “evenly hammered”, “made smooth”, and “acting in a way that is not perverse”.
WISDOM
Q – what is stopping you from moving forwards today?
STRENGTHS THOUGHT: Responsibility – you are driven to honour your word, make agreements with yourself to care for yourself and honour these commitments as well as you honour commitments to others.
Allan’s Unauthorised Version – [in the manner and tensions of your walk through life, seek, ask and comprehend God. He will smooth out the bumps and straighten the crooked places, making all your thoroughfares and manners of conduct agreeable and pleasant.]
PRAYER: Father, thank you for today. Please help me to bring all of me to you, and surrender my life into your safekeeping. Thank you.
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Take responsibility for your own journey has really spoken to me this morning Allan. It is so easy to look to others for direction when I really need to spend time with God seeking His direction. Thanks for your blog today
Beautiful. This is a lifeline verse for me to get my bearings and then go forward again. Thank you for sharing your story of the radio station- so inspired to reach out to my community in any way I can, even in the small by a warm greeting of a smile and hello.
This verse has always been very meaningful to me because through it I learned the truth of simply acknowledging or seeking God for direction and He leading me through many and varying ways. The reason we live in NSW after moving from Victoria is His leading and I know I’m doing what I’m supposed to be because of Him. Today my prayer is, Lord, without your guidance I’m in trouble, lead me with clarity so my paths may truly be straight in Jesus name, Amen.
WOW!!! 😍 Thats the coolest! A Christian radio show! Your life story could be made into a movie Pastor Allan.
What a beautiful thought today. The Father desires that we bring all of ourselves to Him, because He care for all of it, every part of who we are. And it’s in the surrendered posture of heart that He has room to work on, clean, even out the crooked roads we may find ourselves journeying on. That’s a beautiful loving kind Father we serve.
I love the truth of knowing that our speech can be a “river of life” to ourselves and to others. I’m going to let it be and declare scripture over myself and others. POWERFUL TRUTH! Thank you Pastor Allan! Happy Saturday!!!
Well done for being brave enough to bring your idea to the radio station. Love that you prayed beforehand and then followed through.
Love the knowledge section, encouraging us in ALL our ways, no manouvers. Challenging us to think about how we think and speak.
How are you discerning, discovering, and dialoguing with God? – very good!
Thank you pastor Allan.
This is so good – so much biblical principles to apply to our everyday.
Love the strength thought.
Thanks once again Pastor Allan – you are so inspirational!
This verse stresses the importance of asking Father God to direct us in ALL our ways – never thinking some are too small for Him to undertake for us! It is a total dependence on Him in our thinking, speaking, acting & interacting with ourselves & others – totally devoted & committed to God’s ways. If He has a plan for our lives & it’s for good then He needs our total surrender & handing our the reins of our lives to enable Him to show us the paths to walk in. In pondering on my life the paths I’ve taken in making my own decisions without consulting God have often become crooked & have caused me anxiety & stress. However they have also emphasized to me how necessary it is to seek God & His wisdom in my every situation & circumstance staying in faith & have the patience to wait on Him for His direction which doesn’t always come easily. Quite often there is a mind battle & I need to be aware also I have an adversary who is against me & it may involve pressing into God & contending for a positive outcome. In knowing this I have total confidence that He will ALWAYS make a way for me & even if I’ve messed up at times He is so merciful & kind in His correction.
This is great insight to the verse and your description of God straightening your paths, removing the kinks, making the shortest route for you to your next blessing, your next promotion, your next God encounter, and your next season. Why would you not live this way? Is so true !!!!
I know personally I have also said with any decisions to make especially any big decisions ‘If God’s not in it and it’s not His will , Don’t touch it. It doesn’t come with His blessing or His protection . It just isn’t worth it . And immediately I can let go of the idea .
To put Him first is to acknowledge him in all your ways and I want to travel His straight paths for my life Amen .
Father thank you
He will make a way. There have been many instances over the years where I decided I knew best, only to find myself struggling with stress and anxiety.
All we need to do is to lay our burdens down at His feet and find solace in Him.
Amen. Thank you Pastor Allan
Submitting to God in all our ways,honouring him with the way we chose to live ,by loving and having compassion towards people is pleasing to him .
Trusting him always to be along side you ,knowing he’s there with you to the end no matter whatever season of life he finds us in ,
He can be trusted with your entire life.
Thank you God for the hope we have in you 🙏
Such a powerful and true message Allan. Thankyou