Wisdom from Proverbs:
“There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but
the end thereof are the ways of death.” 16:25
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear
the Lord, and depart from evil. 3:7
Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be
established. 4:26
When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh
even his enemies to be at peace with him. 16:7
A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.16:9
A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.16:9
Not a day goes by that you and we don’t make
decisions that turn the direction of our lives. We base some of our choices on
what we know for sure; others are judgment calls. Proverbs 16:25 has a built-in
alarm system that warns us, “There is a way that seemeth right unto
a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” When you base
your decisions on what seems right to you, flags should fly up
all around when you read this verse. Its caution is so specific and so current
that we need to take every word seriously.
Notice, “There is a way . . .”
not there was a way. This warning is not leftover from when
you were in high school. Nor is it talking about your future. This flag is for
your life today, wherever you are. If you’re 25 or 45 or 65, there is a
way that seems like the way to go and you’re looking right at it.
“There is a way that seemeth right unto a man . . . ” Are you pondering a decision, maybe even taken several steps in a certain direction, that just feels like the right decision because it’s smooth and sunny and fun and fast? Make no mistake about it, most likely it is the wrong way.
“There is a way that seemeth right unto a man . . . ” Are you pondering a decision, maybe even taken several steps in a certain direction, that just feels like the right decision because it’s smooth and sunny and fun and fast? Make no mistake about it, most likely it is the wrong way.
Remember when Jonah ran from God? He went down to
Joppa and found a boat waiting in the harbor that took him in the opposite
direction from where God told him to go. It must be right; the boat was
just waiting there for me. Listen, Satan can put a lot of wrong ways
right in front of the person who is willing to consider it. You’ve got to
go find the right way. The wrong way will usually come after
you.
The problem is that all of this only “seemeth
right unto a man …” because
our minds are darkened by sin, our hearts are impatient for pleasure, and our
wills are weighed down with the old nature and the inclination to sin. Don’t
trust what seems right to you—that’s leaning on your own
understanding. Proverbs 3:6 says, “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and
he shall direct thy paths..” Trust God with everything you’ve got, ask
Him for wisdom, and He will make the path of your life plain and straight.
He’ll make it so you don’t have to waste a lot of time going down roads that
just seem right but paths that you know are right
in God’s eyes.
No comments:
Post a Comment