Proverbs 28:26
Those who trust their own insight are foolish, but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe. (NLT)
Boy, this proverb seems pretty harsh. But, it bears a truth, as blunt as it is.
If a person trusts in his own mind, essentially he is saying, “I know better than anyone else how to run my life.” It’s the epitome of self-centeredness. There is also a certain amount of implied pressure: if a person trusts only in his own mind, then he has to come up with all of the right answers.
The solution is to “walk in wisdom.” What does that mean? Solomon’s use of “walk” here is reminiscent of the Psalm 1: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked… but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1a, 2; ESV). Walking refers to living. As we go about our days, we should keep company with wisdom. The result is safety rather than folly. Now, I don’t believe that this proverb promises safety from all harm, but it certainly offers safety from unnecessary harm caused by our own foolishness.
While some wisdom is learned, God’s wisdom is revealed in His Word. Just a glance at Psalm 139 shows the Psalmist’s regard to God’s wisdom. The first seven chapters of Proverbs shows the personification of wisdom and the importance of obtaining it.
Left to ourselves, we can get into all kinds of trouble. What are you relying on to get through your day today? Will your own smarts be sufficient? Where could you use God’s wisdom today?
Copyright © 2009 by Allen White
Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, copyright © 2001, Wheaton: Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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