“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Prov 3:5-6).
It is a very wise not to lean on one’s own understanding. Although our understanding is a marvelous gift that God grants us on the natural plane, it was obscured as a result of original sin, in addition to being subject to the limitations proper to the world of creation.
Intelligence becomes a great light when it is used in the service of God and is illuminated by the Holy Spirit. It is then able to transcend the courts of the sanctuary and acquire the splendor of wisdom.
The enlightened understanding realizes that, as the verse in Proverbs suggests, trust must be placed in the Lord and not in one’s own gifts, however wonderful they may be.
Our Father Himself -the giver of every good gift- wants us to seek Him for His sake. To Him we are to direct our whole heart and trust unreservedly. Then we will realize that it is He who makes our paths straight and wants us to walk in them. It is a joy for Him to guide us and make us discover the paths of His love. These will become our great treasure and will increase our trust in Him. Instead of the difficulty and effort involved in pretending to know and overcome everything in our own strength, there arises a greater ease and agility in being able to simply cooperate with the Lord and allow ourselves to be guided by Him.
“Set your hearts on His kingdom first, and on God’s saving justice, and all these other things will be given you as well” – Jesus teaches us (Mt 6:33). Then we will hear the Lord telling us through the verse from Proverbs: “Trust in me with all your heart and find me in all your ways. Then you will see how I have made your paths straight, to lead you safely to the goal.”