Are You Wearing a Dunce Cap or a Wise Crown?
v15 - The naive believe everything, but the sensible man considers his steps.
v18 - The naive inherit foolishness, but the sensible are crowned with knowledge.
Observation
Naive means to show a lack of wisdom, experience, or judgment.
Sensible implies the use of common sense and an appreciation of the value of experience; possessing or displaying prudence.
It is so easy to believe that we can trust what people around us (work, family, friends, salespeople) say. However, these scriptures shed light on the fact that we should always seek wisdom from the Lord and allow Him to provide clarity on direction and next steps.
Many people mean well and have good intent; however, there are just as many or more who have ill intent or seek to manipulate and deceive. That's why verse 12 says, "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death."
Human wisdom is very different from the wisdom that comes from the Lord. So, making decisions based on "feelings" or what "appears" to be right is just not going to cut it.
The first step to being sensible is to PAUSE. Don't just take off and go because of what was said or what you feel. Seek clarity and guidance from the Lord and not only will you live, but you will be crowned with knowledge and become wiser.
Application
I will make a more concerted effort to pause to seek guidance and clarity from the Lord before I move onto what I may believe (based on my human wisdom or what someone else says) is next.
Prayer
Lord, please give me the wisdom to know when to seek clarity from you and when to pause, move forward, stop, or turnaround completely so that I may give thought to my steps and be crowned with knowledge. In Jesus name, Amen!
Created over 2 years ago
