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Tag: Proverbs 3:7

  • Man-centered or God-centered?

    Proverbs 3:7 “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.”

    Having just told us in Proverbs 3:5-6 to “Trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding but acknowledge Him in all our ways and He will direct your paths, Proverbs 3:7 follows up with a timely admonition to not be wise in our own eyes.  Rather than having I can do it myself mindset, we are told to fear the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom, and depart from evil.”  

    We do have to choose between being man-centered or God-centered. Being wise in your own eyes is not wise at all. That mindset drips with pride and arrogance, of being a know-it-all. Being full of yourself makes one a fool. Instead of being in love with yourself and thinking you are it, you should humble yourself and acknowledge there is God, and you are not Him. The Fear of the Lord comes from a person’s heart where there is the recognition of God followed by reverence and respect for God. He is the creator, and we are His creation. Having this fear of the Lord causes one to see that His ways are right and out of that comes a heart of obedience. It is a heart that rejects what God rejects and embraces what pleases Him.

    Are you full of yourself? Self-centered? Or are you full of the fear of the Lord? God-centered?

    A March to Remember

    For March 7, let us consider Ephesians 1:7. Ephesians 1:7 says, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”

    In considering why Christ is dying on the cross we must remember we are bondslaves to sin and Satan in need of deliverance from sin and the consequences of sin.  This deliverance comes as a result of Jesus paying with His blood the purchase price and thus we are redeemed.  We are now set free from the bondage and the guilt of sin. As you see Christ upon the cross see Him taking your sins upon Him and see Him taking all of God’s wrath, the wrath that you deserved, and see Him paying the penalty for your sins.   On March 7 you should be singing Redeemed, Redeemed, Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it! His child, and forever, I am.

    On March 7 we encourage you to read Matthew 7 to recall our Lord’s teaching.  You can find the Bible reading plan on the Date the Word app.

    Continue Strong this March Remembering our Savior,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • Verse to DATE the Word on March 7 (3/7) is Proverbs 3:7

    Verse to DATE the Word on March 7 (3/7) is Proverbs 3:7

    Our verse to DATE the Word on March 7 (3/7) is Proverbs 3:7

    Proverbs 3:7 says, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.”
    I CAN DO IT MYSELF

    Having just told us in Proverbs 3:5-6 to TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL OUR HEART and NOT LEAN ON OUR OWN UNDERSTANDING, to ACKNOWLEDGE HIM IN ALL OUR WAYS AND HE WILL DIRECT OUR PATHS, Proverbs 3:7 follows up with a timely admonition to NOT BE WISE IN OUR OWN EYES; FEAR THE LORD AND DEPART FROM EVIL.”  

    When I look at these three verses together verse 7 speaks volumes because it challenges me to NOT LEAN ON MY OWN UNDERSTANDING.  I don’t know about you, but I am prone to believe I can do it myself.  Experience, however, has taught me time and again that those five words have gotten me in a lot of trouble.  And I have seen it get a lot of other people in trouble.  While there is something to be said positive about being self-sufficient and something to be said about being able to live independently, choosing to live INDEPENDENTLY of God is not going to end well.   

    An illustration here might be good.  A child so wants to be able to DO IT THEMSELVES.  Can you picture this as a parent, and/or grandparent, and or teacher of preschoolers?   There is orange juice for the child and THEY WANT TO POUR IT FOR THEMSELVES.  They grab the carton and immediately you step toward the child saying, “No Johnny, let me help you.”  And then you hear those famous last words before there is a mess to clean up I CAN DO IT MYSELF.  

    Just curious how many times have you MADE A MESS with life because you said to God, I CAN DO IT MYSELF?  Instead of applying the TRUST IN THE LORD part of Proverbs 3:5 you LEANED ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING.  How did that turn out for you?

    I find Proverbs 3:7 to be a timely reminder to one of the most valuable instructions we have on handling the decisions of life.  The placement of this verse really could not be at a better place. While it seems to be a stand-alone verse it really should be viewed in connection to Proverbs 3:5-6. Having been instructed to TRUST GOD rather than TRUST SELF we find INSTRUCTIONS to NOT BE WISE IN OUR OWN EYES but rather FEAR THE LORD and in doing so DEPART FROM EVIL. Instead of I CAN DO IT MYSELF we acknowledge the authority of God and our need of God and He then leads us, leading us away from temptations and in paths of righteousness.  

    I trust you made the connection with the last sentence to the Lord’s Prayer and to the work of the shepherd in Psalm 23.  When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we pray that He will not lead us into temptation.  With the prayer, we are submitting to His guidance and from Psalm 23 we learn the shepherd leads us in paths of righteousness.   Rather than leaning on our own understanding and being wise in our own eyes, we TRUST and RELY on the Lord and then WE DON’T MAKE A MESS OF THINGS.  

    Not being wise in our own eyes is difficult because we all have an EGO.  I like to define EGO as EDGING GOD OUT.  The decision of decisions will be whether the Lord will be Lord of your life or will you be lord of your life.  When one FEARS THE LORD they have removed self from the throne of their heart and have placed the Lord as LORD of their heart.  One moves from self-dependence to Savior dependence.  

    Verse to DATE the Word on March 7 (3/7) is Proverbs 3:7. It says, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.”

    Will it be I CAN DO IT MYSELF or I NEED YOU, LORD?

    Continue strong TRUSTING IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART!
    And remember to DATE THE WORD