Acknowledging God in All Your Ways

Have you ever seen someone make a trainwreck of their life and blame everyone but themselves? People are often wronged, manipulated and taken advantage of. In those cases, it is right for the person whose fault it is to take responsibility for their actions. But what about the person whose own bad choices and poor decisions led them to their current sufferings? It is bad enough for that person to blame another person for their own mistakes, but what about when we do that to God?

Proverbs 19:3 shows us that it is common for man to blame God for the poor choices we have made: “When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the Lord.” When I am faced with the consequences of my sins and poor decisions, I feel alone as if God is not there and indirectly blame Him for my situation. This can be traced back to our first parents Adam and Eve. When Adam sinned and he was confronted by God, he blamed God for giving him the woman who led him to sin (Genesis 3:12).

This type of thinking is dangerous. In Revelation 16, God begins to pour out His bowls of wrath on unbelievers. The fourth, fifth and seventh plagues brought intense punishment to those left, but instead of acknowledging their sin and repenting, they instead cursed God (Revelation 16:9, 11, 21). These bowls of wrath are part of the final acts of judgement from God on humanity, and the people blamed God for the consequences of their own sin. When we fail to take responsibility for our own foolish actions, we are acting similarly to those who will be supernaturally judged at the end of the age.

However, it is easy to ignore God for the good things He has done despite our sin. Paul says that unrighteous men suppress the truth of God. His eternal power and divine nature are clearly perceived but ignored (Romans 1:18-20). As a result, God gave them up to dishonorable passions and debased minds (Romans 1:24, 26, 28).

Instead Proverbs 3:5–6 says, “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.” This may sound like an impossible command. Telling someone who struggles to trust the Lord to just trust the Lord is sort of like telling someone who struggles with an addiction, “just stop!” But the idea is that we need to start somewhere. If we mess up, instead of blaming God, we ask ourselves, “did I trust God in that moment?” If not, we repent and ask for strength for the next time (1 John 1:9).

It takes constant awareness to acknowledge God in all our ways, but it can start with something as simple as thanking God for a good day or telling Him that you are struggling with making a decision. God will make the path clear at the right time. When He does, we have the opportunity to trust Him again.

Prayer for the day,

Father God, please forgive me for the times I have blamed you for my bad circumstances caused by my foolish behaviors and for not acknowledging all You have done. Help me to trust you in all my ways so that I might glorify You in my choices. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen!