"The End"
Last Friday I felt the Holy Spirit leading me to study the following verses for this week's devotional. I saved the verses and commentary into a word document for today's devotion. Since that time a number of issues in daily life have prompted me to go back to these verses and commentary. I think if we are honest, we can each see ourselves in these verses at some point and time in our life... past or present.
Proverbs 14:12
Amplified Bible (AMP)
12There is a way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but at the end of it is the way of death.
From Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible
We have here an account of the way and end of a great many self-deluded souls. 1. Their way is seemingly fair: It seems right to themselves; they please themselves with a fancy that they are as they should be, that their opinions and practices are good, and such as will bear them out. The way of ignorance and carelessness, the way of worldliness and earthly-mindedness, the way of sensuality and flesh-pleasing, seem right to those that walk in them, much more the way of hypocrisy in religion, external performances, partial reformations, and blind zeal; this they imagine will bring them to heaven; they flatter themselves in their own eyes that all will be well at last. 2. Their end is really fearful, and the more so for their mistake: It is the ways of death, eternal death; their iniquity will certainly be their ruin, and they will perish with a lie in their right hand. Self-deceivers will prove in the end self-destroyers.
So how do we avoid such a tragic end? Let's back up a few chapters and see.
Proverbs 3:5-7
New Living Translation (NLT)
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
6 Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.
7 Don't be impressed with your own wisdom.
Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil.
The key is our heart-relationship to God. If we are to avoid the tragic end described in the first passage, we MUST be certain to nurture, give time and priority to that heart relationship with God. I am most certainly speaking to myself here as well. How did the man in that first passage follow a path that leads to (eternal) death? As verse 5 above states, he depended upon his own understanding. He knew just enough about God... he knew just enough Bible verses... he had just enough insight into the principles of God to make him dangerous to himself and those around him. Sadly, such a man also bears the responsibility for the souls of those he might mislead in giving misguided instruction, advice or counsel to others. These verses are a call to action. Let's look for a moment at the "action" words, the verbs in the verses. We'll look specifically at the "positive" verbs... things we are told TO do.
TRUST in the Lord.
SEEK his will in all you do.
FEAR (understand and respect the power and sovereignty of) the Lord.
TURN away from evil.
This isn't a "jiffy lube" solution where you are "in and out in under 15 minutes". This is a life application plan that requires daily, intentional evaluation of self and relationship to God. Let's remember to lift each other up daily to be encouraged in the truth of God's word and to seek to know Him more.
