Prudent Step
Proverbs 14:14-15
14The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good rewarded for theirs. 15The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps.
Go Back
Many years ago, a young man told his wife, “Let’s go back to school and complete our college education, even if it means we only eat veggies for food.” His wife agreed. They went on to finish their degrees. Several years later, they reflected on how their ordinary life turned up for the better. Their hearts are full of praise and thank God for their decision. God had been gracious to them.
Anyone who graduated in college can be employed in their preferred job, but this is not generally true to everyone else. There are graduates who work in departments not related to their college degrees. Interestingly, there are school dropouts also who are very successful financially in their business careers.
Someone said, “If you are not very extraordinary talented person, a college degree can be very useful instrument for better employment or career.”
Individuals who endure mediocre life, are they hesitant to make adjustment in their way of life? Others may define your success, but contentment is personal choice. Personally, how do you interpret what it advises in Proverbs 3:5-6?
5Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
To trust the Lord with all our heart, we make sure that our heart desire is always aligned with his commands. And, we pray for wisdom to interpret clearly which practical step we should take. To submit to God in all our ways, we trust that the Lord gives us the best practical step we should take. So, when there is hesitation in making decision, we should pause and seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit until we sense peaceful gladness as go signal to take a practical step.
Reading and studying the Scripture regularly is very helpful for us to know and evaluate which appropriate way we follow and conduct ourselves properly.
1. Conduct
14The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good rewarded for theirs.
The term “Ways” includes “conduct, manner, impulse, action, journey, mission, direction, pathway or wherever” one may decide to go, travel or explore.
The term “Faithless” pertains to “backslider” or someone who “turns back, turns aside, turns away or moves away” from what is good. In comparison, the term “Good” pertains to “beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, fair word, be in favor, pleasant, precious, prosperity, wealth, welfare.”
The Amplified Bible (AB) translated it: “The backslider in heart will have his fill with his own rotten ways, but a good man will be satisfied with his ways the godly thought and action which his heart pursues and in which he delights.”
Together, let us seriously reflect on what it declares in Psalm 111:10.
10The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.
Few years ago, a successful businessman shared his idea and said, “Give a monkey a banana fruit and a hundred dollar. The monkey will take the banana because it has no idea that a hundred dollar can buy much more banana.”
The monkey thinks that a banana is valuable to satisfy its craving for food; it cannot comprehend that 100 dollar can buy more bananas. Similarly, there are people who want to satisfy their craving immediately and cannot comprehend that reverent fear of the Lord can bring far more valuable favors in the long run.
Reflect on what it narrated in Joshua 23:9-11, 9The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you. 10One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised. 11So be very careful to love the Lord your God.
Under the leadership of Joshua, the Israelites entered and conquered the land of Canaan. When Joshua was very old; he gave his farewell speech as reminder to the Israelites. He warned them to be very careful to love the Lord. Canaanites influenced the next generation Israelites to follow other gods.
When Israelites occupied the Promised Land, it practically illustrated when we accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and received eternal life by faith. And since we are still waiting for Christ to return, we also live in this world full of temptations, and we are warned from possible backsliding. So be very careful to love the Lord our God, as there were many who have been misled in the past.
What had been warned in the first century Christianity, it also happens in this generation; it revealed in 2 Peter 2:1-3, 1There were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
Week after week, we gather to remind ourselves regularly and encourage each other to stay stronger in the Lord. It is very beneficial for us to be careful of our ways and be cautious of our manners and how we conduct ourselves while we explore this challenging world. We must be discreet and consider our steps.
2. Consider
15The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps.
The term “Prudent” pertains to “crafty, sensible or shrewd person.”
When it says “The prudent give thought to their steps,” it means crafty shrewd people sensibly consider discreetly their decision before taking practical step.
In comparison, the term “Simple” is can be translated also as “foolish, naïve, inexperienced, or open-minded.” Interestingly, many people may find it fascinating to be simple and open-minded. Are you simply open-minded?
When people say that they are open-minded, they want to avoid foolish arguments; they want to be cautious and not hurt somebody’s feeling. We should please the Lord, if we choose to be safe. King David testified in Psalm 18:24-26.
24The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight. 25To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, 26to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
No matter what choice we take, there will always be people who cannot agree with us. And, it is very advisable to avoid argument about doctrines and beliefs with people who do not believe in God. It is also smart and favorable to be careful not to step on anybody’s toes. But, we should make sure that the Lord is pleased with our behavior. Let us seriously reflect on 1 Thessalonians 5:8-11.
8Let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
What practical means do you normally do to encourage others and build each other up? There are many ways on how to encourage, and not every way is applicable to everybody. Have you tried to encourage others but get no result? Some people were so discouraged and cannot encourage others. We should pray for divine wisdom on how we could practically advice or encourage others.
Together, let us sensibly meditate on what happened in Job 2:9-10.
9His wife said to Job, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” 10He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
Most often when we are emotionally disturbed, foolish ideas come to mind.
The wife of Job may have been emotionally affected by his painful suffering. She wanted to end everything right away. Unstable emotion wants to end all miseries without delay. We should seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and we can be prudent and discreetly consider our behavior that brings glory to our Lord God.
To be filled with gratitude of heart and gladly praise God is the best life we can ever experience. So when complaints confuse us, we should pause and pray and seek wisdom from the Lord so that we may take prudent steps discreetly.
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