Gold Nugget
Verse 15: "The simple believes every word, but the prudent considers well his steps."
Commentary
The biggest obstacle to being able to tell if you are wise or
foolish is understanding that foolishness is the act of being foolish unaware.
In our nature for self-preservation we instinctively preserve all aspects of
who we are, whether physical or emotional. We wish to preserve our image and
pride. We think positive things concerning ourselves. Even those with low self-esteem,
often see themselves as a victim of their circumstances and that inside themselves
they are just fine. Other than some valid disorders, our natural instinct is to
love and preserve ourselves emotionally and physically. "For no
one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord
does the church." (Ephesians 5:29) It's in us naturally to love
ourselves, but not everything in our nature is appropriate. “For men will be
lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud..." (2
Timothy 3:2a)
Now that we see we have a natural sense of self-preservation we
can see why the foolish will not see themselves as foolish. They cannot see
themselves any other way and have therefore, condemned themselves to the prison
of their own folly. The prudent (or wise) person mentioned in today's
"gold nugget" is not so prideful and actually sees "self-preservation"
as being directly tied to him being able to see past his pride and consider
more than his natural instincts. "...he considers well his
steps." The simple believe every word, even their own perceptions. If
there is one thing we have learned as a creation, it’s that nobody lies to us
more than we lie to ourselves. Consider that and grow a healthy distrust for
your natural instincts to see yourself as more than is appropriate. Be wise and
"considers well your steps".
Prayer
Lord, I know that my biggest enemy is often my own flesh. Flesh
that is comprised of selfishness and pride. Help me to remember that my natural
man is not subject to righteousness and humility and that I need to consider my
steps instead of being subject to my flesh-centered thinking. Amen
If you are reading this devotional in an e-mail and would like to post a comment, click on this link http://proverbfortoday.org/
No comments:
Post a Comment