Tag Archives: Own understanding

FOUNDATION STONES – 10

Christian Life, ,

SUBMIT TO THE LORD

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV
[5] “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; [6] in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Wise Solomon! If only he had heeded his own words!

This stone, together with the fear of the Lord, should form a foundation strong and solid enough to built an entire edifice that can withstand the worst of storms in life. After all, submitting the Lord instead of putting our faith in our own faulty ideas is the way to go. Every other way, outside of submission to God’s ways and wisdom, will inevitably land us in disaster.

Look at this “stone”! What does it contain? Trust (confidence in God i.e., the fear of the Lord), heart (everything that we are), our own understanding (our own foolishness), submit (exchange self-will for God’s will), path (the way that leads to our eternal destiny).

What could be simpler than these few words that form the foundation of a life lived with the right attitude, under the right guide, on the right way, to the right destination. If the Bible had nothing else to say, we would still have enough wisdom to get us to where we want to go.

What the Bible does have to say, which takes up the rest of Scripture, is both the history of humanity’s departure from God’s way, and God’s solution that reveals His true nature, His love that underpins His mercy and grace. He intervened, at His own expense, to rescue us from self-destruction and set us back onto the path of submission, obedience, and eternal life.

The trouble is, for many of us, that we try our own understanding first, fall into the deep hole of consequences with no way out, and then only, dragging with us a load of trouble, we turn to the Lord to rescue us.

When we submit to the Lord, we give up the power struggle between His will and ours, adopt His will as good and perfect, and give Him the right and freedom to choose our way for us. That’s the way to go for a destiny that will take us to the Father. We will spend our entire lives, if we don’t heed these words, learning and unlearning the folly of independence and the wisdom of doing things God’s way!

MOLLY AND ME – GOAD TO THE GOAL

Christian Life, ,

Molly doesn’t know it, but when we go outside for toilet purposes or for our daily walk, I have a goal which I intend to achieve. She meanders around with no set purpose. Everything is interesting, to be smelt and explored, and time means nothing. My goal is to finish what I intended. Her goal is…well…I’m never really sure!

You see, being a dog, she doesn’t understand my thinking. Even if I encourage her with words, she is none the wiser. She lives in her “dog” world which is very different from mine. The only way I can guide her towards my intended purpose is to goad her, gently, in the right direction.

Molly reminds me of myself and God. Since I live in my “people” world, I don’t always know where God is leading or in which direction to go. I need Him to nudge me along the correct path with a goad that sometimes pricks and hurts.

Before he found the correct path for his life, the Apostle Paul was subject to God’s goad. He was on a path to destroy the early church by arresting and hauling Christians before the Sanhedrin for trial and execution. Wrong way, Saul! That’s not God’s plan for you.

So, this fanatical Pharisee was stopped short on his murderous mission. Flat on his face in the dust, Jesus Himself confronted him.

Acts 9:4-5 NKJV
[4] “Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” [5] And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

Until that moment, Saul resisted the goads that Jesus used to steer him towards His plan. Now it was time to change.

Sometimes our conscience, sometimes our circumstances, sometimes God’s Word, and sometimes the people in our Iives act as goads. Whatever God uses to get our attention and redirect us along His path, best we heed the goads if we want to end up where He wants us to be.

The solution is simple

Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT
[5] “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. [6] Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

Let’s not wait for the Lord to use His goad against our stubborn resistance. He will get us to where He wants to be, whatever it takes. Goads hurt! Seek His will to avoid the pain. He only uses goads when necessary.