LOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.

A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart.

Proverbs 14:12, 16:25, 21:2

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Perhaps one of the worst mindsets we can get into in life is that we know what’s best for ourselves and for others. We have seen over and over again through the Book of Proverbs, particularly in the early chapters, where the Lord warns us to not lean on our own understanding. We’re not to trust in our own wisdom. We’re not to try and figure things out with our own intellect. We’re definitely not to write the Lord out of our deliberations as we try and work things out in life, particularly in trying to determine the right courses of action.

When we were designed, the Lord allowed us to have free will, the ability to make choices when it came to matters of life. It’s in our DNA to do this and some may see this as a design flaw but that simply isn’t possible when we’re talking about a Creator God who is perfect in every way. No, He gave us free will because He desires for us to willingly opt for Him, for all that He is and all that He can be in our lives. He doesn’t desire for us to come to that place through force, although He seeks to guide us there through consequences when we choose sin. He rather places two choices before us, righteousness and sinfulness, and then leaves the rest up to us. We must decide which option we will use in everything we do in life, what we will use in every thought, every spoken word, and every action.

As we enter into this situation, the situation where we need to decide which of the two options to use, we need to keep the following proverbs in mind as they serve to push us to making the right choice every time:

There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death. Proverbs 14:12, 16:25

A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart. Proverbs 21:2

Note the key parts of these verses when it comes to our deliberations, especially when it comes to doing what is right.

1. There is a way that appears to be right.

The bottom line here is that looks can be deceiving. When we look at a matter, we will see any number of options available and one of them might appear to be right to us. The problem is that is appears right to us and that typically leads us to number 2.

2. A person may think their own ways are right.

When something appears to be right to us, we will choose that path most of the time, thinking that the way we are choosing is the right one. We easily step out onto that path and begin to travel but the problem is that we are typically walking down the wide path of destruction vice the narrow path the Lord wants us on (Matthew 7:13-14).

Notice that what’s wrong with these two scenarios is that there is no mention of the Lord being involved in the considerations. It’s all about a person weighing options and deciding which way to proceed. This is why we find words like “appears to be” and “think their own ways” are in play. There is no certainty in either statement because the only way we can be sure that we’re going the right way is when the Lord is the One who has led us to our choice.

In other words, you can always say with full confidence that you have made the right choice and know you are walking the right way when you allow the Lord to be the One who has led and guided you to that choice. His way needs to be your way, period. For after all, He told us that He is the Way and the Truth and the Life (John 14:6).

Friends, God’s word for us today takes all the pressure off of dealing with life’s circumstances. No more do we need to worry about trying to figure out what to do in dealing with matters as they pop up. All we need to do is prayerfully come before the Lord and obediently submit ourselves to His care and direction, a care and direction that will always lead us away from sin and into righteousness.

Trust in the Lord and lean not on your understanding. It’s a primary theme of the Proverbs and it’s the only way we can be assured that our ways are right, without question.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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