In All Your Ways Acknowledge Him: What Does It Mean?

Published Aug 29, 2021

‘“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5-6

Most Christians are familiar with this verse. It’s probably one of the most famous proverbs in the bible. You’ll often see these words plastered in wall decorations, notebook covers, murals, etcetera. But only a few can explain what they really meant.

The verse talks about two things: trusting God wholeheartedly and acknowledging him in all our ways. The former has been explained by countless articles. The latter, however, is often misunderstood.

What does acknowledging God in all our ways mean?

To begin with, know that this particular verse has various translations in different bible versions.

In the New King James Version, this is translated as:

“In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths”

But in the New International Version, this proverb is written as:

“in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

While the New Living Translation (NLV) bible interpreted it as:

“Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

The Christian Standard Bible (CSB) also has a different translation which goes:

“in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.”

All the translations seem to agree for the most part, except for the word “acknowledge” which is replaced by:

• to submit
• to seek his will
• to know

In the original Hebrew text, the word used was “yada`” which accounts for the varied translations. Nevertheless, these translations give us an idea of what the verse is trying to express.

What Does It Mean to “Acknowledge”?

In the dictionary, the word “acknowledge” is defined as:

• to accept or admit the existence or truth of
• to express or display gratitude for or appreciation of
• to show that one has noticed or recognized (someone) by making a gesture or greeting

In our daily lives, the last one seems to be the most common application of the word “acknowledge”. Whenever we see an acquaintance on the street, we nod or smile to show that we acknowledge them.

Yet despite the smiles and nods, we rarely ever speak to them. It’s like sending a message that we notice them but we don’t want to talk to them. Acknowledging someone has become more of a polite gesture than a genuine desire to recognize their presence.

Unfortunately, this same attitude also reflects in the way we acknowledge God. We pray to him, sing songs in his praise, preach his words. Yet, only very few are willing to “talk” to him. Worse, the praise and worship are sometimes all just lip service so that we look good in front of others.

This is not how you acknowledge the Lord. It’s merely a way of letting him know that we notice him. Reciting prayers without really meaning them isn’t acknowledging His presence. Nor does singing songs of praise in public when you can’t even praise Him when you’re alone.

Acknowledging God in all our ways should be more like the first two definitions. It means accepting His existence and being grateful to Him – every single day of our life.