“NO! NO! NO!” How many times have parents scolded their children with those three negative warning? Index finger pointing, a furrowed scowl on their brow and a stern warning in their voice to “stop this very instant.” Whether or not the threat works the first, second or third time may well depend on the determination of the parent or the will of the child.
“There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord” is a powerful statement. Throughout Proverbs, wisdom and insight and plans have had their source in and from God. Here it is quite different. Solomon is warning any one who wants to challenge God’s sovereignty to realize that it is a futile battle. He does not say “there is no insight, wisdom or plan” in a combined statement, but he emphasizes each one by preceding it with “NO!”
Whatever we devise apart from God will ultimately and completely fail. We may have carefully and completely researched our goal to replace God’s sovereignty but when applied or put into action, it will not succeed.
Apart from God, everything - including wisdom, insight and plans - will be incomplete. Only in Him and through Him will whatever we do be complete and succeed. What we say and think, research and reason, talk about and work on will have its flaws. And it is not because God wants us to fail. It is because He demands that we depend on Him.
Attempting to do anything without humility, feelings of inadequacy and complete dependence on God, cannot or will not be as successful as it could be with His wisdom and insight. We can expect His blessings if we acknowledge our need for Him to be at the heart of all we do. Apart from Him we have no hope.
Prayer: Lord, if we are honest with ourselves, we will have to admit that whatever we do will be incomplete unless we depend on You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture for Today: Proverbs 21:30 There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.
No comments:
Post a Comment