Stop, Look, and Listen!

There is so much wisdom in Proverbs. In today's chapter (Prov. 22), this verse really jumped out at me: "The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it." Prov. 22:3 How often have I played the fool rather than the prudent person in this regard! I might sense danger or God's quiet voice warning me to turn around, change course, or alter my behavior. But all too often, pride, stubbornness, laziness, or selfishness can cause me to "go on and suffer for it." In my pride, I insist that my way is the best way. God's will must be burdensome or hard, I reason, and so I foolishly push ahead in my own agenda. But the voice of truth, God's eternal Word, tells me that His will is "good and acceptable and perfect." (Rom.12:2) Who do I trust? My own ever vacillating emotions or the voice of God?

Or maybe I sense danger but keep pushing on our of sheer stubbornness or laziness. Once we get in a rut, it's just so much easier to keep trudging along in that mindless rut, heedless of danger. Summer can be a prime time when we can go off into the ditch by failing to get alone in His Word or forgetting to seek His will through prayer or missing those moments of truly connecting with our loved ones.

Sadly, I can often be that "simple" foolish woman who, like the energizer bunny, "keeps going and going and going..." despite God's encouragement and warning to turn around, to alter my actions and attitude so that I can enjoy God's best and God's blessing. Even as I was trying to sign in on my computer, I kept typing in my password and the computer kept rejecting it. I was so frustrated! But rather than slow down and think, I just kept stubbornly pushing those keys with the same password, convinced the computer was at fault... until I realized I had typed in the wrong email address! I could have typed that password until Jesus comes back and I would never ever have gained access! Like I said, simple woman and prone to "go on [and on and on] and suffer for it."

So, I know this is elementary and simple, but I guess that's where I am right now--I still need to be reminded of the basics! If the Lord nudges us and warns us of danger or of the need for a course correction, we need to take heed. We need to start following the instructions we all gave to our children when they were little as they prepared to cross the road: "Stop, look, and listen." Stop what we are doing, look into God's Word, and listen and obey what He tells us! And to God be the glory.