Proverbs 3:7

Proverbs 3:7

Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.

 

Psalm 10 refers to the ways of a wicked man, stating “In his pride the wicked does not seek him, in all his thoughts there is no room for God”…and, “He says to himself, ‘Nothing will shake me; I’ll always be happy and never have trouble.’” We have all at some point fallen into the trap of being the “wicked” person. We think we have all the answers and know the right path to take. We fail to take time to truly consult with God’s Word…we fail to genuinely seek his instructions and understand his plan for our lives. Instead, we figure things out as we go, based on some dysfunctional set of rules and standards that are set by man. When things are going great and life seems good…when everything is humming along, the money is flowing, and we are greeted with a smile by everyone…we think much like the wicked man in Psalm 10 that nothing will shake us and that we are always going to be basking in the sun, living the good life. But we all know that the idea of always being happy and never having trouble is absolute nonsense, a fairy tale that only a fool would believe. Eventually the realities of this broken world come knocking at our door. We witness our relationships falling apart…we witness things like wealth, health, and status start to crumble. We can’t figure out why are kids are unruly and misguided, why our jobs seems miserable and burdensome, and why we can’t seem to ever find true peace and happiness. We scramble to find a solution, seeking comfort in more material possessions, worldly gains, and superficial relationships. Yet we still remain at odds…we are still unsatisfied, insecure, and distraught. Thankfully we are not left to wallow in the foolish situation that we have created for ourselves. Thankfully we don’t have to continue the pointless cycle of seeking purpose and joy in worldly things. Thankfully we have a God that, no matter how many times we have taken a ride on our merry-go-round of stupidity, still pursues us with unwavering determination. He still seeks us out each day, despite our sinful behavior, looking to develop and deepen our relationship with him. He still looks to lead us to Christ, to find that peace and contentment that we struggled to find by our own means. He still looks to mend the relationships that we have broken, restore the purpose to our chosen vocation, and ultimately lead us to his Son. It is only when we choose to put God’s wisdom, direction, and law above our own foolish ways that we find true peace, contentment, and rescue in this life. And when this life comes to a close, there is nothing apart from Christ that will do us any good…there is nothing aside from true faith in Jesus Christ that will lead us through the gates of heaven and into the presence of the Lord. So today, may we put our foolish ways to the side and embrace God’s way, may we embrace Christ as our only hope, and may we let nothing stand between us and our God! To God alone be the glory!