“Don’t be impressed with YOUR OWN WISDOM. Instead, FEAR THE LORD and TURN AWAY FROM EVIL. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.” (Prov. 3:7-8) This sounds like it’s saying that if we trust in our own wisdom WILL, instead of God’s wisdom, that it’s evil. Let’s look at verse 5 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; DO NOT depend on your own understanding.” (Prov. 3:5) Our own knowledge and our own understanding is flawed, why? Because we are only human and very limited in how much we know! Why is it evil to be impressed with our own wisdom? Because it would be so easy to be led astray if we depend on what we know! This verse is implying that one would prefer to do what they have learned rather than to trust in God. But the reason we trust in God is because He is omniscient (all-knowing, God knows everything about everything).
“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and HE WILL GIVE IT TO YOU. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.” (James 1:5-7) It is so very important for us to have faith in God because, “…it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him MUST BELIEVE that God exists and that HE REWARDS those who sincerely seek Him.” (Heb. 11:6) So WILL, the faith that pleases God is the kind of faith that believes that God exists and that He is a REWARDER.
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham