Proverbs 3:5-6 and 4:18 are companion verses about walking with God in ever increasing light. As we trust and acknowledge Him, He directs our paths bringing the ever increasing light of His glory into our lives. All are invited to enter into that walk with Him in light.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
George Washington Carver (1860s-1943) was a brilliant and benevolent man who invented over 300 different uses for peanuts. He was a world-famous chemist who made important agricultural discoveries and inventions. His research on peanuts, sweet potatoes, and other products helped poor southern farmers vary their crops and improve their diets. He took inspiration daily from Proverbs 3:5-6, trusting in the Lord with all his heart, and acknowledging God who directed his paths.
Proverbs 4:18 (NIV)
The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
Nancy Ruegg comments on Proverbs 4:18:
(https://nancyaruegg.com/tag/proverbs-418/)
“Please understand: the path of the righteous has not been paved with my own righteousness.” As Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
“My Christian parents made sure the first gleam of dawn during childhood included many hours of Bible instruction in various settings.
And as the years have passed, the faith-pathway has been shining ever brighter.
“The Light of the world (John 8:12) has enlightened my mind and spirit, giving guidance and allaying fear.”
John 8:12 (NKJV)
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
“And I’m still rejoicing that God bestows more light as the days go by. He shines ever brighter and will continue to do so till the full light of day—the day I arrive in heaven.
“God calls us to become lights on the path of life, shining like stars and reflecting the Lord’s glory (Philippians 2:15, 2 Corinthians 3:18).
Philippians 2:15 New King James Version (NKJV)
15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV)
16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
“We, too, can shine ever brighter till the full light of day. What a glorious privilege he gives us!”
The psalmist prays in Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.” David declares in Psalm 23:3, “He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” In this beloved psalm, David describes his close personal walk with God that is His desire for all of us.
Psalm 23 (NKJV)
1 The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
God declares His unfathomable love for us in John 3:16,
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
God cleanses us from all unrighteousness when we confess our sins and acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Through Him, we can “walk in the light as He is in the light”, and have fellowship with one another in His redeeming love.
1 John 1 (NKJV)
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Jesus invites us all into a personal walk with God in ever increasing light.
He said to his detractors in John 5:39-40,
“ You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”
He gives this personal invitation to come to him to find rest and be life partners with Him, in Matthew 11:28-30,
“28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
David Krause, dhkrause@neteze.com, https://compellinglove.net/, 2/17/2020
Photo credits:
(1) https://www.facebook.com/Daily-Inspirational-Psalms-And-Proverbs-1453010851642262/
(2) https://thebereanmanifesto.podbean.com/e/ep36-john-812/
(3) https://dailyverses.net/2015/5/23/kjv
(4) https://newlife.com/start-spiritual-renewal/ *
* (Includes excellent teaching.)
Compelling Love 
I am honored, David, that you found the post based on Proverbs 4:18 worthy of sharing here! Thank you also for becoming a follower of my blog, From the Inside Out. I pray you’ll find the posts meaningful whenever you’re able to visit.
By: Nancy Ruegg on February 17, 2020
at 10:36 pm
Thank you, Nancy. Incidentally, I shared this Bible study with your commentary at two care centers last weekend, and will share it at two others next weekend. Your comments resonated with these residents as they did with me.
Interestingly, I encountered your post in the process of selecting a verse image for Proverbs 4:18. I always check for comments made by the poster of the image. I ended up selecting a different image but retaining your excellent comments!
Looking forward to reading more of your writings.
By: dhkrause on February 18, 2020
at 8:42 am