| Our verse to DATE the Word on March 7 (3/7) is Proverbs 3:7 |
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Proverbs 3:7 says, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.” |
| I CAN DO IT MYSELF Having just told us in Proverbs 3:5-6 to TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL OUR HEART and NOT LEAN ON OUR OWN UNDERSTANDING, to ACKNOWLEDGE HIM IN ALL OUR WAYS AND HE WILL DIRECT OUR PATHS, Proverbs 3:7 follows up with a timely admonition to NOT BE WISE IN OUR OWN EYES; FEAR THE LORD AND DEPART FROM EVIL.” When I look at these three verses together verse 7 speaks volumes because it challenges me to NOT LEAN ON MY OWN UNDERSTANDING. I don’t know about you, but I am prone to believe I can do it myself. Experience, however, has taught me time and again that those five words have gotten me in a lot of trouble. And I have seen it get a lot of other people in trouble. While there is something to be said positive about being self-sufficient and something to be said about being able to live independently, choosing to live INDEPENDENTLY of God is not going to end well. An illustration here might be good. A child so wants to be able to DO IT THEMSELVES. Can you picture this as a parent, and/or grandparent, and or teacher of preschoolers? There is orange juice for the child and THEY WANT TO POUR IT FOR THEMSELVES. They grab the carton and immediately you step toward the child saying, “No Johnny, let me help you.” And then you hear those famous last words before there is a mess to clean up I CAN DO IT MYSELF. Just curious how many times have you MADE A MESS with life because you said to God, I CAN DO IT MYSELF? Instead of applying the TRUST IN THE LORD part of Proverbs 3:5 you LEANED ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING. How did that turn out for you? I find Proverbs 3:7 to be a timely reminder to one of the most valuable instructions we have on handling the decisions of life. The placement of this verse really could not be at a better place. While it seems to be a stand-alone verse it really should be viewed in connection to Proverbs 3:5-6. Having been instructed to TRUST GOD rather than TRUST SELF we find INSTRUCTIONS to NOT BE WISE IN OUR OWN EYES but rather FEAR THE LORD and in doing so DEPART FROM EVIL. Instead of I CAN DO IT MYSELF we acknowledge the authority of God and our need of God and He then leads us, leading us away from temptations and in paths of righteousness. I trust you made the connection with the last sentence to the Lord’s Prayer and to the work of the shepherd in Psalm 23. When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we pray that He will not lead us into temptation. With the prayer, we are submitting to His guidance and from Psalm 23 we learn the shepherd leads us in paths of righteousness. Rather than leaning on our own understanding and being wise in our own eyes, we TRUST and RELY on the Lord and then WE DON’T MAKE A MESS OF THINGS. Not being wise in our own eyes is difficult because we all have an EGO. I like to define EGO as EDGING GOD OUT. The decision of decisions will be whether the Lord will be Lord of your life or will you be lord of your life. When one FEARS THE LORD they have removed self from the throne of their heart and have placed the Lord as LORD of their heart. One moves from self-dependence to Savior dependence. Verse to DATE the Word on March 7 (3/7) is Proverbs 3:7. It says, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.” Will it be I CAN DO IT MYSELF or I NEED YOU, LORD? Continue strong TRUSTING IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART! And remember to DATE THE WORD |