Full Dependence on God

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6, NASB

Self-sufficiency and self-dependence have been the ruin of mankind ever since the fall of Adam.  The grand sin of the human race is their continual endeavor to live independently of God.

Trust means as to wholly rely upon God’s promises and providence.  The reasons why we need to trust God are: (1) God is the Fountain of all good; (2) He has made his intelligent creatures dependent upon himself; (3) He requires them to be conscious of that dependence; (4) He has promised to communicate what they need; (5) He commands them to believe his promise, and look for its fulfillment; and (6) To do this without doubt, fear, or distrust; “with their whole heart.”

The opposite of trusting God will all your heart is to lean on your own understanding.  This is a kind of carnal confidence, that is, he understands all other confidence in bodily strength, wealth, or friends including his own wisdom, knowledge, talents, and skills.

If we lean into our own understanding, it means that we rely on ourselves, instead on God to whom we are commanded to depend fully.

Verse 6 of Proverbs 3 says that "in all your ways acknowledge Him."  This does not mean that we acknowledge God only whenever we are in act of solemn worship or great crises but “in all our ways.”

The phrase "in all your ways" means:  (1) earnestly pray for God's direction at the commencement; (2) look for His continual support in the progress; and (3) terminate in His glory.

If we give our full trust on God "with all our hearts" - leaning not on our understanding, wisdom, knowledge, talents, skills, wealth, friends, etc. - and acknowledge God "in all our ways," then God will make our "path" straight and even - that will certainly be to our good.