By Pastor William Y. K. Brown Ph.D
(Resident Pastor)
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Osu-Bethel.
Tel: 0244165628/0243310773.
wykbrown@gmail.com
TUESDAY
THEME: LEAD LORD, GRANT ME WISDOM TO FOLLOW
SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 3:7-8
“[7]Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. [8]It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.”
REFLECTIONS:
One of the essential cautions for the year is to refrain from attempting to lean on your own understanding. The human mind can quickly fail you. We all know the limitations humans have in understanding things. We can be myopic in understanding issues or completely need more understanding. Again, everybody knows how fallible humans are; therefore, to lean on your knowledge without recourse to seeking guidance and direction, especially from God, who leads us, is a choice for disaster, chaos, confusion, and frustration. Therefore, let God help you use your knowledge and understanding this year.
Solomon, by the wisdom God gave him, could appreciate practical things. Often, we lean on our own understanding because we think we are wise. Yet we know how often our decisions have been faulty, messy, and backfired. Human wisdom can be very deceptive and cunning. Wisdom must be positive. Folly, the opposite of wisdom, is negative. When knowledge is applied correctly, it is described as wisdom. Knowledge applied negatively – for evil, criminality, and destruction is a misapplication of knowledge, not wisdom – to be blunt, it is foolishness. The Oxford Dictionary defines wisdom as: “the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise.” If you refer to “quality,” it means we have graduation or levels here. That is the reason why we should seek help from God.
Proverbs 3:7 states: “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.” This is excellent counsel for every person who wants to live a good life this year. “Do not be wise in your own eyes” implies that sometimes we think we are wise but not. Sometimes, we believe we have the knowledge and the capacity to make the right judgments; therefore, we fail to consult others or seek guidance from God. The outcomes, in most cases, have been detrimental and regrettable. “Fear the Lord and depart from evil,” he adds. When we fear God, it gives wisdom; therefore, we shall eschew and shun evil. Proverbs 9:10 reads, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 26:12 states, “Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” Proper application of knowledge is wisdom; therefore, may the Lord bless you with knowledge, understanding, and wisdom this year.
If you seek wisdom from God, “It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.” This shows the symbiotic relationship that exists between the mind and the body. The psychosomatic effects of our decisions are evident. Depression, stress, guilt-feeling, etc., may occur when we become wise in our own eyes. Therefore, let us make Solomon’s counsel a gem of wisdom to hold dearly. If you want to remain healthy, peaceful, joyful, and be a blessing to others, then fear God and have wisdom that comes from Him. May the Lord grant you the breadth of saving and eternal knowledge.
MY SONG OF COMMITMENT
SDAH 515 – “The Lord Is My Light”
LET US PRAY
– Praise and thank God for His promised guidance; thank God for the rich experiences you have had; pray for God to help you apply knowledge wisely;
– Pray for people you know who are “wise in their own eyes”; pray for your family members to fear God and seek wisdom from Him;
– Pray for members of your church, neighbors, and colleagues with the knowledge to know how to use them; pray for the security personnel who have the knowledge to use ammunitions to be blessed with wisdom in using them;
– Pray for the country’s peace, a disaster-free year, and God’s blessings on the citizens; pray for people in distress and displaced; pray for the sick; pray for job opportunities for the unemployed.
