Proverbs 3:5-7 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 straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.

1 Corinthians 3:18-20 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written,“ He catches the wise in their craftiness,” and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”

Who To Trust

The first time I got a flat tire, I was seventeen years old and going 75 miles per hour on a highway in the middle of nowhere. I made it safely to the shoulder of the road, but I had no idea how to remove a flat tire and put on a spare tire. I tried for an hour to get the spare out from under my van. Fortunately, a man in a tow truck stopped and helped me out. It took him less than a minute to get access to my spare tire.

The difference between him and me was not strength, it was understanding. He knew exactly what to do, and I had no idea. Honestly, if I would’ve taken one minute to read the instruction manual in my glove compartment, I could have done it myself. But I didn’t even know to do that.

God warns us that if you go through life leaning only on your own understanding, you will end up on a wrong path. He graciously offers to give us His understanding to guide us through life. Assuming that you will be able to trust yourself and your understanding about what is best is called “being wise in our own eyes.” To think you know better than God does about what is right is to follow a path away from God. Thankfully, you have a God who has offered to come along and rescue you from your own lack of understanding. Trusting Him with your life leads to a straight path that turns away from evil.

1. How have your mom and dad helped you know who to trust?

2. When was a time that you needed someone else’s help because you didn’t know how to solve your own problem?

3. How can someone get wisdom from God on what is right and wrong? Read 1 Corinthians 3:18–20.

4. Read Proverbs 3:5–7 again. According to these two passages, what makes God different than us?

5. After reading these two passages, think about two or three questions you have about these verses.

6. What other verses in the Bible help to answer your questions?

7. What do you think is the most important idea of these two passages, 1 Corinthians 3:18–20 and Proverbs 3:5–7?

8. What do these verses ask you to think, feel, or do?