Acknowledge. Receive Direction.

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 direct your path.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Acknowledge. Do the next right thing. Watch how he directs your path. Thank him.
I’ve been parked on the last part of that passage for a while now. This is what I am learning:

Acknowledge.
Recognize that God is here, right now, with me. Recognize that he wants to impart wisdom.
A position of humility. I imagine hands out, palms up, in a moment of solitude or heart quietness.
“God, I don’t know what to do here. I recognize that you are above all, you see all, and you know all. Whatever it is that I am facing right now, you are above it. Thank you, for directing me.”
(Always stick a physical action with it – it changes the brain chemistry. In this case, the physical action being hands out, palms up.)

Do the next right thing.
Whatever it is that you know is right to do and have the power to do, do it.
Sometimes this means waiting. Allowing circumstances to play out and see what happens.

Watch how he directs your path.
This is most often observed in hindsight. In the moment, we may not understand how direction is given, but hindsight is always 20/20 vision! Actions and words that seem inconsequential can sometimes be the key to the direction of a situation. Do not discredit the small things. God is not limited by our understanding or the physical world. He can give direction in a million different ways! (think: Baalam’s donkey, Numbers 22)

Thank him.
Thank him for his supremacy. Thank him for his sovereignty. Thank him for knowing YOU, and for directing YOUR path.

I stated earlier that I’ve been parked on these verses recently. Throughout the days, as things arise and I’m not sure what to do, I have begun to simply acknowledge the Lord.
The other day, there was a situation with one of the older children. There was a lot of disrespect going on and I wasn’t sure how to respond. I sat in the bathroom for a second, (is it only me, or do other parents betake themselves to the bathroom for a moment’s peace as well?) I simply acknowledged God and let him know what was going on. “God, I don’t know how to handle this situation, please direct my path.”

No thoughts or inspiration was forthcoming, so I exited the bathroom and went on to the next chore. It wasn’t even 5 minutes later that the offending party came to me, apologized for the disrespect and then cheerfully went to carry out what had been required of him.

I stand there in amazement, then thank the Father for directing my path.

This has happened over and over in the past weeks. I am in a time crunch, things overwhelm me, situations with the teenagers perplex me, life-sized decisions insert themselves, and I have no idea what to do! I acknowledge God, I do the next right thing (which is sometimes nothing), and somehow it all works out! God always directs my path!

This scripture does state: ‘In ALL your ways acknowledge God.’ This is not just something to do when I’m in over my head. It is for the whole day, every day! The easy parts, the routine, the good, the bad, the hard parts. We are to acknowledge God in ALL that we do. Because, really, what part of our lives is he not interested in?

There are times when there is more than one right path – don’t stress it! God is OK with our learning to know his voice. Will I always get it right? No! And that is OK. Just back up, reset, make right what I have messed up, and try again.

This is learning to walk with the Spirit.
This is learning to know his voice.
Again,

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 direct your path.

Proverbs 3:5-6