Wisdom

 May 6, 2022

One of the first Scripture verses I memorized after coming to Christ as I entered my teenage years was Proverbs 3:5-6, in the old King James Version, of course. 

“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.”

Thumbing through my old Bible, these words popped out at me once again, but with the added perspective of old age. The words, “all thine heart” convict and challenge me. The longer I live, the more aware I am of the division within my heart. I would like to say I am trusting the LORD with all my heart, but I am too aware of the truth of the prophet Jeremiah: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (17:9) 

Pop psychologists tell young people to “follow your heart;” some of the worst advice that can be given. Our culture has taught an entire generation that we are basically good people, despite the witness of thousands of years of wisdom and the realities that surround us every day. Trusting in the LORD with ALL our heart is a continual battle of the spirit versus the flesh, as St. Paul puts it.

The Proverb continues: “Lean not to thine own understanding.” Modern versions put it this way: “Don’t rely upon your own understanding.” I must confess, I’ve done that more often than I care to remember. I did my research, thought the matter through, and charged ahead without sufficiently (read: “any”) praying. Like Israel with the deceitful Jebusites, I never failed to pay a price for trusting in my own wisdom, which is limited by human limitation, sinful nature, and selfish desires. I’ve too often believed I had better answers, knew more than others; in short, I was wise in my own eyes, which, had I read verse seven, I might have known better: 

“Be not wise in thine own eyes: 

Fear the LORD, and depart from evil.”

There is only one reliable source for wisdom—that Old Book I’ve been reviewing these past few days. I like the way Psalm 119 puts it: 

“I have more understanding than all my teachers: 

For thy testimonies are my meditation. 

I understand more than the ancients, 

Because I keep thy precepts.”

—Psalm 119:99-100 

Any wise decisions I’ve made have been due to the Word of God that somehow seeped into my soul to penetrate a heart that was often hard and dull, till it brought forth fruit from a seed I didn’t always know was there.

God is faithful, and in addition to giving wisdom to his people, he picks up the broken pieces and loose ends I offer to him when I finally wise up. That’s something for which to be thankful tonight!