Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Proverbs: Day 5 - Making Choices & Decisions - [Chapter 5]


Solomon continues to stress that the key to gaining wisdom is to listen and pay attention to the teachings that he has lifted up to his child.   The verse that captured my attention was verse 21: "For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all your paths" (NIV translation).

Here we are talking about choices again.  How often have we made choices and decisions on our own, thinking that no one else knows about them?  They may be innocent decisions that have no apparent ramifications upon anyone's life, but nonetheless, we have this notion that we are the only ones who is aware of that choice.  After all, we have free choices to make - God has given us that gift.  Why should others be involved?  If we want to make a secret decision, that's ours to know and ours to know only.  

Solomon's wisdom says otherwise.  

Our ways - the pathway we decide to take... the choices we make in life - our ways are there for the Lord to view.  "...in full view of the Lord"!  Nothing is hidden!  Not one decision or choice is unknown, but all in full view of God.  Certainly we are free to make those choices, but God is also free to view them.  Who are we to suggest otherwise?  If God examines all of our paths, then perhaps we should employ the counsel of Solomon's wisdom and pay attention to those choices and decisions.  

If God sees everything I do, then I need to keep that in mind for the things that I do ought to be pleasing to God.  

Solomon is starting to put us to the test.  

Actually, God is putting us to the test - because He knows the answers already.

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