Turning from Wisdom to Wisdom

 

Prov 3:5-8

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not rely on your own insight.

In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.

Do not be wise in your own eyes;

fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.


It will be a healing for your flesh

and a refreshment for your body.

So, what happens when we intimately desire and welcome the Lord into every area of life possible; When we pursue our God in all of His goodness? He gives us direction. He goes before us and leads us to lasting hope, joy, and peace. What do we lose by taking the wheel of our lives, while asking him to get into the back seat (or out of the automobile altogether?)

Verses seven and eight seem counterintuitive on a human level of functioning. It is startling to hear that reliance on our limited understandings, experiences, and beliefs could be empty foolishness or distraction from the true healing and refreshment that our Lord longs to give us. Trusting God and his wisdom above all else seems to make us quite vulnerable; perhaps even stupid in the eyes of the world around us.

However, the writer is not asking us to be foolish, laying aside the understandings and wisdom we do have (whether spiritual or practical). Instead, he is instructing us to hold any of our perceived wisdom (and our pride in being wise) loosely when comparing it to the wisdom of our God. We stand ready to change our thinking or our direction when it conflicts with knowing and obeying Jesus Christ. This is why we continue to "know/acknowledge" God and worship Him with all of our being. The more we know Him and His ways, the more wisdom and eternal life we will experience while we walk this planet.

When we turn from that which is evil and destructive, we find healing and refreshment in our inner being. When we let go of error and embrace his commands and truth: we are free.

Self-serving, self-reliant self-worship brings us nothing but anxiety. In time we realize, that our striving on our own terms is empty, our control is a façade, and our self-derived dreams are at risk. It is better to find lasting joy and rejuvenation in the God who alone can grant them.

In the power of the Holy Spirit, let us constantly cast our burdens, stress, and fear on the Lord. As we trust Him, He is ready to give us the direction and peace that we need.


Fr. Tom