When we’re reading, it’s easy to skim right over familiar words rather than stop to reflect on their meaning, as I discovered one recent morning when I came to these familiar words in Proverbs 3:5-6, ESV:
5Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
Thankfully, something “stopped me” before I could speed right past them. I wondered, What does it mean to acknowledge God? I jotted down a few words that immediately came to mind: recognize, consult with, defer to….
Next, I read those same two verses in various versions of the Bible and noticed that acknowledge has been translated submit, think about, know...
Then I consulted a Merriam-Webster Dictionary and discovered even more words that are closely associated in meaning with acknowledge: admit, own, avow [boldly declare], confess. One of the longer definitions given in that dictionary says, “to regard or describe (someone or something) as having or deserving a particular status.” Another definition says, “to say that you accept or do not deny the truth or existence of (something).”
Finally, I checked Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible and found a long list of closely related words, including these: be aware of, comprehend, consider, declare, discern, discover, perceive, regard, respect, understand…
As I reflected on my findings, I wrote this summary:
To acknowledge GOD means:
- to believe that He is the true and the living God
- to be respectfully aware of who He is and of His power
- to think about Him throughout each day—i.e., to live in constant awareness of His presence
- to consult with Him (through Bible reading and prayer) to discover His will, His preferences
- to humbly and gladly seek to please Him in matters both great and small
- to tell others about Him
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