Lean on (Hebrew - Shaan)

Do not lean on your own understanding...

Proverbs 3:5 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and don't lean on your own understanding. 

Lean on (Hebrew), Original Wordtransliterated word shâ‛an, Phonetic spelling shaw-an, a primitive root, meaning to support one’s self: - lean, lie, rely, rest (on self), stay.

God’s people are exhorted to trust in the Lord. The scriptures do not prohibit growing in wisdom; it is always advisable for a person to get understanding but we are not to put our trust in it.

The Hebrew word used here very clearly states that leaning on one’s own understanding could be disastrous. God’s people must trust God for continual providence. We must totally rely in the wisdom, power, and goodness of God, assuring ourselves of the extent of his power to provide to all the creatures and all their actions. We must therefore trust in the Lord with all our hearts (Pro 3:5); we must believe that he is able to do what he purposes, wise to do what is best, and good, according to his promise, to do what is best for us, if we love him, and serve him. Our duty is to depend upon him with an entire submission and satisfaction, to perform all things for us, and not lean to our own understanding, as if we could, by any forecast of our own, without God, help ourselves, and bring our affairs to a good issue.

The Word of God is very clear that if we put our trust in our own strength, we will fail. In all our conduct we must be diffident of our own judgment, and confident of God's wisdom, power, and goodness, and therefore must follow Providence and not force it.

Proverbs 2&3 poses an apparent paradox in spiritual life. We strive hard to get wisdom and understanding (2:1-5), yet we are not to lean on it apart from the Lord (3:5-6). Even good wisdom apart from God’s grace can become a snare. Trust in the Lord is the secret of the wise man. It is to be whole-hearted and full time. The phrase “in all your ways” is a rebuke o the part-time godliness which does “lean on our own understanding” when paths seem familiar.

This verse presents one of the strongest promises of the Bible. God complains as much of a divided allegiance as none. We are to trust with “all our heart” and the extent of our trust should be “in all our ways”. Few will refuse to acknowledge a superintending providence at certain times and in certain operations that are counted great, but God wants us to confide in Him in the little close and kindly things.

The secret behind putting our trust completely on God is the realization of human inability. God starts to work when our ability comes to a still stand. If we realize our own limitation, unworthiness and helplessness as human beings, we will trust Him with all our heart.