Do Not Limit God
“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.” – Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)
When our son was attending the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, we often visited him for various events and occasions. Because of the high cost of tuition and other related expenses, we were living on a tight budget. Whenever we looked for accommodations, the prices were so high that we typically ended up staying in hotels that weren’t quite to our liking but were all we could afford.
On one particular trip, I was especially frustrated. Every hotel I found was either too expensive or not very nice. Sitting at my computer, I finally cried out to God in frustration:
"God, I want to stay somewhere nice. You said I could ask You, and You would provide. I believe You put this desire in my heart, and I want to stay somewhere nice. Can You please show me what to do?"
In that moment, I sensed the Holy Spirit whisper to me: “Type in ‘luxury hotels in the Los Angeles area.’” So I obeyed. The first hotel that appeared in the search results was The Langham Hotel. I had never even heard of it before.
Then I sensed Him say, “Call them. Ask for the room rates and see if they offer any discounts.”
I did exactly that—and to my surprise, the discounted rate we qualified for was even lower than what we would have paid at the less desirable hotels!
After booking our stay, I asked God, “Lord, do You mean we could have been staying here all this time?”
His gentle response pierced my heart: “You never asked Me. You’ve been leaning on your own understanding, relying on what you know instead of seeking My wisdom.”
That moment changed me. I realized I had only been receiving what my own knowledge and efforts could produce. God had been waiting for me to invite Him into the process.
I believe God sometimes allows us to come to the end of ourselves so that we will finally turn to Him. It had never occurred to me to ask God for something that felt beyond our budget. I assumed that if standard hotels were already expensive, a luxury hotel was simply out of the question. But Proverbs 3 reminds us: “In all your ways acknowledge Him.”
When I studied the word acknowledge, I learned it means “to know.” And to know means “to perceive or understand as fact or truth; to apprehend clearly and with certainty; to have fixed in the mind.” In other words, God calls us to know Him so deeply that we consult Him about everything—not just the things we think are out of our reach.
Key Takeaways
We limit God’s blessings when we fail to seek His guidance first.
We limit God’s blessings when we rely solely on our own reasoning.
We limit God’s blessings when we do not cultivate an intimate relationship with Him.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19; Isaiah 55:11
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