Proverbs 2:12, “Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse…”
Have you ever thought about how wisdom saves you from harm in your every day life? When you apply wisdom to stop at a red light in your car, your life is spared from getting hit by oncoming traffic. When you use wisdom to eat edible foods and avoid eating poisonous things, your life is spared from sickness. When you use wisdom and don’t touch a burning stove, gulp down hot coffee or run with scissors, your life is saved from danger and injury.
Now, have you ever thought about how God’s wisdom saves you from the ways of the wicked? For example, when you use wisdom by not gossiping, you’re saved from the judgment on those who cause division with their words. When you use wisdom to not curse or tell dirty jokes, you’re spared from the judgment of those who do. When you use wisdom and don’t follow false prophets, you’re delivered from their punishment on Judgment Day. When you don’t lie, steal, take the Lord’s name in vain, commit adultery or break the law, you’re saved from sin’s penalties. Most importantly, when you follow Jesus’ wisdom and are born again, you are saved from the devil’s lies and eternal damnation.
When you use God’s wisdom found in Scripture, your life is saved from the ways of wicked men whose words and ways are perverse. They are perverted because they pervert and distort the truth. Just like the devil, they love to tell lies. The book of Proverbs is full of examples of what happens to the ungodly and the foolish, but consider how much worse it is to be the follower of a fool. It’s one thing to be foolish and wicked like Pharaoh and rush into the Red Sea; it’s another kind of stupid to be the one following a fool like Pharaoh. No thank you!
In other words, everyone is following someone, who are you following? Some people build their lives and values on what rich and powerful people teach. Others base their lives off of what religious leaders teach, never thinking to compare their teachings to Scripture. Many people just believe whatever their family tells them, no matter what God’s Word says. And some people even foolishly get their beliefs from what famous people teach, just because they’re famous. Forest Gump said, “Stupid is, as stupid does!”
In the end, it doesn’t matter what person you’re following because if you’re not following Jesus and God’s wisdom you will perish.
Anyone that teaches something opposite of God’s Word should be rejected. God’s Word is the standard for all morality and spirituality. In the gospels we see that Jesus was the perfect example of God’s wisdom in humanity. Jesus taught the path to destruction was wide and many are on it. However, the path of life is narrow and few travel on it (Matthew 7:13-14). The choice is yours, do you want to follow the multitudes on the path of destruction or follow Jesus and His disciples on the narrow path of eternal life?
Be like Jesus and follow God’s wisdom in the Scriptures because it will save you from destruction and needless suffering. The way of the sinner may seem profitable and popular today but their end is death. Remember, God’s ways are always the best ways and wisdom is better than folly.
Reflection
Do you want to follow the ways of God or man?
Action
- Commit daily to reading your Bible and receiving God’s wisdom.
- Reject any advice or “so-called wisdom” that is against God’s Word.
- By God’s grace, live a life that pleases God according to His commands!
