Lean Not to Your Own Understanding

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths (Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV)

We are born with an amazing ability to be deceived. Most of us adults remember our times of adolescence when we thought we knew everything. We didn't want to listen to our parents who had "been there and done that." They warned us about the consequences that would follow our actions, but we dismissed them as being old-fashioned and not understanding. Oftentimes, however, their words turned out to be prophetic.

As we have gotten older things have not changed much. I continue to be amazed at the con games grownups fall for. However far-fetched a scheme someone comes up with, it seems as though there are always many takers to be taken. Sometimes, the victim will appear on a news program such as 60 Minutes and tell his or her unbelievable story, and what really surprises me is that the person appears to be rather intelligent. You wonder, how could this have happened? One thing for sure, the victim didn't go looking to be deceived. What seemed so right turned out to be so wrong.

Christians are no exception. For example, some are taken by pyramid schemes, others are taken to the cleaners by insincere televangelists, and the statistics regarding our divorce rate suggest that many Christians make bad choices in selecting a mate for marriage.

Making the right choices in life is hard because people are seldom what they appear to be, neither are things in life as they often appear. These truths coupled with our innate ability to be deceived make for bad decision-making in life.

That's why we need God's help in making the right choices. We can only see people's outward appearance, but He sees their heart. And as for life, only He perfectly understands its complexities. The Bible is filled with the wisdom of His counsel. Our diligent study of the Scriptures enables us to tap into this wisdom for guidance. Also, as we pray in faith, He will direct our paths. —Frank King

Dear Lord, thank You for the wisdom in Your word. You inspired holy men to write the Bible that we might have direction for life. Help me to acknowledge You in all my ways. Amen.