Thursday, July 13, 2023
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. Proverbs 14:12
A Matter of Life or Death
In addition to contrasting wise, foolish, righteous, and unrighteous actions, Proverbs speaks a lot about the paths we choose in life. For so much of our time here on earth, we sail along thinking we are in complete control, and we know exactly what we need to be doing and where we need to go. We don’t always think we need help from God unless we are in a crisis situation. Then we quickly run to Him. But Solomon tells us in Proverbs that the way that seems right to us, often leads to death.
Satan loves it when we don’t consider God in the path we take, or the decisions we make. He loves it even more when we think we don’t need God. We sometimes pick a path and truly do not see the dangers or the dips in the path that can get us into trouble. Other times we know exactly what we are doing, and we want to go down that path anyway, maybe believing that it really won’t lead to serious consequences or death. Even though it may seem right to us, it is not and clearly leads to a mess. We may end up in sin that leads to death - death of relationships, death of our career, or death of a family.
Wisdom helps us understand that what may seem right to us isn’t necessarily right; it can in fact be the way of death. Matthew 7:13-14 says Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. This is a reminder of two things:
- If left up to us, and we choose the easiest way, (because more often than not we will!) it will likely lead us to destruction. The easiest way is usually not the best way!
- The easy way deceives us into thinking it is the best way, but it leads to destruction.
We obviously need God and His wisdom and guidance in our lives. He offers us complete access to Him anytime, about anything. He cares about everything little thing we care about. We cannot trust our own judgement without seeking His will and direction. To be sure that we are on the right path, we need to trust Him, pray, and receive His wisdom. This proverb is so important that God repeated it again in Proverbs 16:25: There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
Every time I try to do things my way, I make a mess. To make the best decisions and to follow the right paths we always need to consult God about His will for our lives - and then we need to be willing to be obedient. His way is the way to life. Our way, although it seems good, is the way to destruction.
