Bible verse of the day: Key question is, do we trust in ourselves or in God?
In an 'age of self-sufficiency,' Indiana pastor says it's easy to forget people cannot save themselves
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5).
This Old Testament verse appears straightforward — but is perhaps more complex than it seems.
How do the faithful let go of what they want and instead let God chart their course?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}First, it's worthwhile to examine the meaning of "proverb."
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A biblical proverb is "a short saying that expresses a universal truth for practical, godly living," according to Christianity.com.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The word "proverb" comes from the Hebrew root word meaning "to be like," that website notes.
The question is whether we "trust in ourselves or trust in God" when it comes to our lives, says Pastor Lucas Miles, from South Bend, Indiana. (iStock)
The Book of Proverbs "is full of comparisons illustrating how various simple concepts represent the fundamental truths of life," it also says.
Biblical proverbs have provided "a significant source of practical wisdom for people of all backgrounds and education levels," the site continues.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: DECISIONS WE MAKE IN LIFE BRING ‘BLESSINGS AND CURSES,' SO CHOOSE WISELY
It also notes that proverbs have helped millions of people "better understand how we should live and the consequences of immoral judgment and behavior."
One faith leader from Indiana believes that Proverbs 3:5 is actually quite "simple," he said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The proverbs help millions of people "better understand how [to] live and the consequences of immoral judgment and behavior." (iStock)
"We can either trust in ourselves or we can trust in God," Lucas Miles, pastor of Nfluence Church in South Bend, told Fox News Digital via email.
"The incarnation of Christ is the ultimate test of our trust in Him. Before us is the question, ‘Will I place my trust in myself, or will I look to the carpenter’s son, a mere infant, lying in a manger?’"
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Miles said it’s easy to forget, especially in "this age of self-sufficiency," our own inability to save ourselves.
This, he underscored, is where we "must remember the Christ child."
A baby Jesus figurine is part of a Nativity scene amid a "Joy to the World" exhibit on Dec. 9, 2004 in Washington, D.C. "He came, born of a virgin, full of grace and truth, to do what we could not," Pastor Lucas Miles said of Christ. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Said Pastor Miles, "He came, born of a virgin, full of grace and truth, to do what we could not."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He also said, "Waiting with expectancy within the baby Messiah was the perfect life of our savior, his gruesome death on a cross and his victorious resurrection — all waiting to be lived out on our behalf."
TINY NATIVITY SCENE IS CREATED ON A SPECK OF GOLD AS MICRO-ENGRAVER SHARES HIS IMPRESSIVE WORK
Miles said that as the faithful look to Christ this season, they have the essential question to consider: Who do they turn to for life's answers?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
"I pray, for our sakes, that we would take an honest assessment of our own shortcomings and sin long enough to place our trust in the Christmas child, the one for which we cry out, ‘Immanuel — Christ our Savior is born!’"
During the Advent season, stay tuned for more Bible verses of the day. To read yesterday's Bible verse, click here.