Gotta Work on My "IFs"

Roast of the day: Medium

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will direct your paths." - Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)

If you're someone that is familiar with the Bible, I'm sure you probably recognize this passage. Like many of you, I've read these particular verses countless times. It's a Scripture passage that is both a proverb and a promise. It wasn't until recently that God revealed a new insight to me that I wanted to share.

Like many of the promises found in Scripture, this passage can really be broken down into an IF - THEN statement. If we trust in the Lord with all our hearts...If we don't depend on our own understanding...If we seek Him in all we do - Then He will direct our paths.

I think there are too many times that I want the "then" without the effort of the "if." I find myself asking God to help guide me or direct me in an upcoming decision without fully examining how I've been fulfilling my "if" requirements. Have I been trusting the Lord with ALL my heart? Is it possible that I've been leaning too heavily on my own knowledge and understanding? Have I truly been seeking His will in ALL I do? This is not legalism - this is showing love and devotion.

Lord, help me work on my ifs, before expecting the promises of Your thens.