Articles
Trust In God or Self?
TRUST IN GOD OR SELF
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. 7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. 8 It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. Proverbs 3:5-8
Man's Folly and God's wisdom
Paul summarized the problem saying : "The foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of man…" (1 Cor. 1:25). Who do you trust - self or God? Who makes your rules - self or God? Who knows what is right or wrong - self or God? Who is God - me or God? Yet men continually reject God and follow their own thoughts. Hence we read:
· 12 Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. Proverbs 26:12
· 12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. Proverbs 14:12; 16:25
· 26 Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered. Proverbs 28:26
· 24 A man’s steps are from the Lord; how then can man understand his way? Proverbs 20:24
· 2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. Proverbs 18:2
· 3 When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the Lord. Proverbs 19:3
The problem of trusting in the LORD comes when it runs counter to what I think and want. When I begin setting in judgment upon God's judgment it only brings trouble. Such began with Eve. Such a simple question: 'Has God said…?". Well, yes is the simple answer. The question though is "Is God CORRECT when He says… ". Eve was invited to sit in judgment upon God and His Word. Eve sinned. Death.
A more subtle error occurs when man begins picking and choosing WHICH instructions to obey. This allows us to deceive ourselves thinking that we ARE following God's wisdom. When Saul obeyed PART of God's instruction it let him say "I HAVE obeyed the voice of the LORD" and yet Samuel said that he was in rebellion! So it is today. We pick the instructions we LIKE and AGREE with, and we ignore those we don't. Such is walking in our own wisdom!
Make no mistake about it, God's wisdom teaches a different life-style than man's wisdom.
"Yea, but it doesn't seem to me that …" BEWARE! BE CAREFUL!
