He
layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous (Prov 2:7)
The Effects Of Foolishness: An Attitude of
Self Reliance (2): Proverbs 29:25-27
25) The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in
the LORD shall be safe.
26) Many seek the ruler's favour; but [every] man's judgment [cometh]
from the LORD.
27) An unjust man [is] an
abomination to the just: and [he that is]
upright in the way [is] abomination
to the wicked.
In
this chapter, Solomon examines the effects of foolishness on the lives of the
foolish and those who are around them….
EXPOSITION:
In
this devotion, we will continue to look at one of the great effects of
foolishness… an attitude of self-reliance instead of a trusting reliance upon
the Lord for all of our needs and desires.
Marks of an attitude of self-reliance….
25) The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in
the LORD shall be safe.
Fear…
1. The anxiety of men is accompanied by a trap
2. But for the person that places their faith in
Jehovah will be secure and at peace.
When
men rely upon themselves for the supply of all their needs, the natural result
will be fear. This is so because there
are many issues of life that are beyond the person’s control. Because they are not trusting in the Lord
that controls all things, they find themselves constantly fearful of unexpected
events for which they are not prepared, nor able, to handle on their own. This fear is much like a trap into which they
will fall, and be held captive until they turn from their self-reliance to
faith in the Lord to meet their needs.
For
the person that is trusting in the Lord to meet their every need, they can rest
in peace knowing that their future is in His hands and He will not leave them
comfortless.
“[It is] better to trust in
the LORD than to put confidence in man. [It is] better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.” (Psalms 118:8-9)
26) Many seek the ruler's favour; but [every] man's judgment [cometh]
from the LORD.
Taking
matters into their own hands…
1. Those who strive to attain the favor of those
who are powerful due to authority, riches, or social standing
2. but every person’s decisions proceed from the
Lord
Those
who are trusting in themselves for their welfare, will attempt to please those
from whom they can gain the necessities of life. Those who possess authority die to great
wealth, political power, or high social standing are the ones most able to be
selfishly used for their own personal gain.
What
they do not realize is that those who are the powerful ones in the society are
still under the control of the sovereign hand of the Lord. The Lord is the one who controls the hearts
and minds of all men, as He directs their thoughts and brings about His will in
all their decision making.
Instead
of using the rulers of the world to meet their needs, the self-reliant should
understand their need to trust in the Lord, the One that controls the rulers
from whom they seek assistance.
“The king's heart [is] in the hand of the
LORD, [as] the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” (Proverbs 21:1)
27) An unjust man [is] an
abomination to the just: and [he that is]
upright in the way [is] abomination
to the wicked.
Recognized
by the righteous as disgusting…
1. The lawless self-reliant man is disgusting to
those who are in a right standing with the Lord.
2. he that possess a lifestyle is aligned with
the law is disgusting to the lawless.
The
self-reliant man is abhorred by those who honor and submit to the desires of
God. Those who understand the Lord’s
goodness, His mercy and His grace are offended by those who selfishly refuse to
honor the Lord by being in submission to Him with both their actions and
speech.
Likewise
the righteous are abhorred by the lawless due to their lifestyle of submission
to the Lord. This is because the
lifestyle of the righteous condemns the lawless, showing them their sinfulness
and the true joy and peace that can be had by submitting to Christ.
“SAMECH. I hate [vain]
thoughts: but thy law do I love. Thou [art] my hiding place
and my shield: I hope in thy word. Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my
God.” (Psalms 119:113-115)
SUMMARY:
So
far in our study, we have seen that some of the indications of a self-reliant
spirit are:
1.
Anger
2.
Pride
3.
Unlawful gain and dishonesty
4.
Fear
5.
Taking matters into their own hands
6.
Disgusting in the eyes of the righteous
By
God’s grace, let us all study these proverbs diligently, giving them the value
that they deserve.
May the
Lord bless us as we receive this sound wisdom and then “Think On These Things”.
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