Proverbs 3: From Steps to Straight Paths

Happy Tuesday, Crossroads family! If we haven’t gotten to meet yet, hi—I’m Joel Vicente, your new Missions Associate here at the church. I’m stepping into this role at what feels like a crucial time, as we prepare for Global Missions Week, where we’ll celebrate how God is using our missionaries to reach people around the world and consider how we can be a part of that work ourselves.

However, this new season has also brought some unexpected emotions for me. Two years ago, my wife and I moved to North Carolina so I could continue my education at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, something I felt God calling me to for a long time. But in doing so, I had to leave a church I had planted and pastored for 27 years.

This transitional period in our lives led me back to the words of Solomon in Proverbs 3. And today, I invite you to reflect on them with me.

Proverbs is the Biblical book of wisdom. Much of it was written by King Solomon, who was considered, in his time, to be the wisest man on earth (1 Kings 4:29-34).

But Solomon’s wisdom did not make him sinless, nor did it guarantee that he would always live according to the wisdom God had given him. It’s in 1 Kings 11 that we first see Solomon’s dependence shift to his own understanding and wealth, even though these very gifts had been given to him by the LORD (1 Kings 3:3-15).

Nevertheless, the sayings in Proverbs are God’s inspired wisdom. And knowing that Solomon would eventually turn away from Him makes these verses especially significant as we consider the blessings that come from placing our full trust in Him.

In Proverbs 3:5, when Solomon wrote, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding,” he acknowledged that complete wisdom comes from God alone; therefore, God is worthy of our heart’s full trust.

But in the next verse, he shows us what that trust actually looks like—confessing complete dependence on God throughout our lives. “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”

Notice his language in this verse. Not easy paths, but straight paths. Not uncomplicated paths, but straight paths. Not uncertain paths, but straight paths. The straight paths Solomon is speaking of are those touched by God. He corrects crooked paths that may lead us astray and redirects us to His purposes.

In 1993, the LORD called my wife and I to transition from Tennessee to Tampa, Florida, to start a church in the inner city. Talk about an unclear path! As newlyweds and recent college graduates, we had no idea what we were about to encounter. There were no jobs waiting for us, no promises of what lay ahead, and no family nearby.

Facing such an overwhelming route, we knew we could not lean on our own understanding; it was powerless. Trusting God became an absolute necessity—and I soon learned there was no better place to be. Because four years later, in 1997, we started the church on a straight path. I realized that what had seemed like a delay to me was actually God preparing the way for the church and teaching me to trust Him with all my heart before I would help lead others in the same way.

But after twenty-seven years of leading that church, the LORD called us to another transition—this time to North Carolina, where I could pursue my Doctor of Ministry. In walking away from three decades in Florida, we confronted another unclear path. However, we had learned that if God could straighten the Tampa trails, He could also straighten the North Carolina hills.

Our testimony after two major transitions is that God is trustworthy to make straight paths. I’ve seen how He has been working to bring me to Crossroads—an opportunity I’m so excited about! As my wife and I look to the future, we are certain that by trusting God with every change, we will experience His faithfulness.

For me, Solomon’s life is a reminder that even the wisest among us must continually choose to trust the LORD rather than ourselves. Though we may think our wisdom can lead us through, God is the only one who can see the full path ahead. His promises to be with us in every season are substantiated throughout Scripture, including in Psalm 32:8: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” I encourage you, too, to acknowledge His faithfulness in your transitions, trusting that He will guide and sustain you at every step.

As we close together, think on this: when you are offered an opportunity to participate in a mission trip or outreach event, does the invitation bring anxiety? Are you so intimidated by the uncertain path that you let fear dictate your steps? Or do you trust the LORD with all your heart—and say yes to Him using you?

No matter the season of life you’re in, trust the LORD with all your heart and acknowledge Him with every step. I challenge you to take a step into a missional opportunity; remember the One you’re walking with. Our LORD will make your paths straight.

As Joel steps into this new season with Crossroads, we’re grateful to have his perspective and his heart for Missions with us! Leave a comment below to welcome Joel to our Crossroads family and share how his devotional spoke to the season you’re in.

And with Global Missions Week coming up, we're excited to share what God is doing through our missionaries around the world—and how you can be part of that work. Visit our Missions page to preview this stretch of days we'll spend living out God's heart for the nations.