Theme November: Discernment of
Truth
Title: “The Discernment of Truth: Trusting Beyond Understanding”
Text: Proverbs 3:5 (KJV)
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own
understanding.”
Introduction
We live in a world overflowing with information but starving for truth.
Every day, we are told what to believe — by media, culture, and even our own
emotions. Yet the Word of God reminds us that true discernment does not
come from the noise of human wisdom but from the still voice of divine truth.
Proverbs 3:5 calls us to a higher trust — not in what we know, but in who
we know: the Lord Himself.
Today, we will unpack this verse through six subtopics that teach us how
to discern truth by learning where to place our trust — and where not
to.
1. Trust in the Lord
Scripture:
“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD
is.” — Jeremiah 17:7
Trusting the Lord means placing our confidence not in circumstances, but
in His character. His Word, His promises, and His plans are sure. When we trust
Him, we are saying, “Lord, You are my truth even when life makes no sense.”
Trust only exists in relationship that requires us to give up All our
ways, to walk in faith, to blindly lean on God. Hence, if you do not have any
relationship with God, you cannot trust Him.
Contrast:
Trusting in the Lord is trusting in the unchanging, while trusting in
man is trusting in the uncertain. People’s opinions shift, but God’s
Word stands forever (Isaiah 40:8).
Illustration:
Think of a child jumping into a father’s arms. The child doesn’t calculate the
father’s strength; he simply trusts because he knows the father’s heart. In the
same way, when we discern truth, we don’t measure God by our logic — we leap
into His arms by faith.
2. Trust in Firm Foundation
Scripture:
“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus
Christ.” — 1 Corinthians 3:11
Truth has a foundation — and that foundation is Christ. Discernment fails
when built on shifting ground like emotions, culture, or tradition. Jesus is
the rock of stability in a collapsing world.
Contrast:
Human trust builds on sand (Matthew 7:26–27). Godly trust builds on the Rock.
When storms come, only one stands firm.
Illustration:
During an earthquake, buildings on weak soil crumble, but those on bedrock
stand. In life’s moral and spiritual quakes, those anchored in Christ — the
firm foundation — remain unshaken because truth itself holds them up.
3. Trust in Eternal Wisdom
Scripture:
“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” — Romans
11:33
God’s wisdom is eternal, transcending time, logic, and trends.
Discernment of truth requires listening to His eternal wisdom, not
fleeting philosophies.
Contrast:
Human wisdom ends at the grave; God’s wisdom begins before creation.
The world’s wisdom says, 1. See to believe 2. utilizing GPS 3. Relying on
machinery/computer
God’s wisdom says, 1. Believe to see 2. Having God ride with you 3.
Having God carrying you
Illustration:
A GPS may show you the road ahead for a few miles, but God’s wisdom sees the
entire journey from start to finish. When you trust His direction, you are
guided not by momentary data but by eternal foresight.
4. Lean Not on Temporary Knowledge
Scripture:
“For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.” — 1 Corinthians 13:9
Human knowledge is limited — temporary and ever-changing. What we think
we “know” today may be outdated tomorrow. Discernment of truth means not
leaning on what fades, but holding to what endures. A high level of
understanding is “Knowing that we do not Know anything”
We must empty ourselves before coming to God so He can pour into us.
Contrast:
Temporary knowledge gives temporary peace. Eternal truth gives eternal
assurance.
Illustration:
In the early days, doctors prescribed harmful treatments thinking they were
cures. Knowledge evolves, but truth never changes. Likewise, God’s truth
doesn’t “update” — it upholds.
5. Lean Not on Human Understanding
Scripture:
“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are
the ways of death.” — Proverbs 14:12
Human understanding is often self-centered, limited by perspective, and
distorted by pride. Discernment of truth requires humility — the willingness to
admit we don’t see the full picture.
Contrast:
Human understanding says, “I’ve got this.” Godly trust says, “Lord, lead me.”
One leans inward; the other leans upward.
Illustration:
Peter trusted his understanding when he walked on water — until he saw the
waves and began to sink (Matthew 14:30). When he cried, “Lord, save me,” he
rediscovered that divine truth lifts where human logic sinks.
6. Lean Not on the Brokenness
Scripture:
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can
know it?” — Jeremiah 17:9
Our brokenness — emotional wounds, biases, fears — can distort our
perception of truth. Discernment means not filtering truth through pain but
through God’s healing presence.
Contrast:
Trusting in brokenness breeds confusion. Trusting in God brings clarity. Broken
vessels leak truth; whole hearts hold it.
Illustration:
A cracked mirror cannot reflect a true image. In the same way, when we view
truth through a broken heart, we see distortion. But when God heals us, His
truth reflects clearly.
Conclusion: Trusting the Lord vs.
Trusting in Man
- Trusting in man leads to
confusion (Jeremiah 17:5).
- Trusting in the
Lord leads to clarity and peace (Isaiah 26:3).
To discern truth in a world of voices, we must anchor ourselves in the
voice that never lies. The call of Proverbs 3:5 is not merely to believe in
God — but to trust Him wholly, refusing to lean on our fragile
understanding.
Sometimes, the feeling is that we try so hard to avoid the storm of our
world. Here’s the key is to learn how to dance during the storm and necessary
how to run from the storm
Closing Challenge
Today, ask yourself:
- Where have I
leaned too much on my own understanding?
- What voices
have I trusted more than God’s?
- Am I discerning
truth from His eternal wisdom or from my temporary perception?
Let us pray for the grace to trust in the Lord with all our heart
— for in that trust, we will discern truth that sets us free (John 8:32).
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