Proverbs 16:25: “There is a way that seems right to a man, / But its end is the way of death.”

June 20th, 2024 by Pastor Ed in devotional

There is a path in life that to the human, natural mind seems reasonable and desirable but is usually absolutely contrary to God’s will for us. This verse is focused on the crossroads, the decision points or defining moments, that often come along in life, when we must choose between our way and God’s way. This verse suggests that when making a choice in life, there are almost always several attractive routes available and the wrong route is usually the easiest one to take.

There is an old saying that fits this proverb well: “It may be true that there are two sides to every question, but it is also true that there are two sides to a sheet of flypaper, and it makes a big difference to the fly which side he chooses.” We must be vigilant to pray faithfully before making decisions. Praying the simple prayer, “LORD, open the doors that are You and close the doors that are not,” makes the decision process much easier. It is a prayer of submission, as we say, “God, I don’t what to do anything against Your will for my life, but I can’t be sure which of these choices is right. So as I proceed, trying different doors, I ask You to keep me from making a mistake.” That puts us in a place of submission to God, asking Him for help, which is a very safe place from which to make decisions.

We must of course be prepared to accept an outcome that may be much different from the one we wanted or expected. We must really let God be God in our lives and agree to accept His will, whatever it turns out to be, because we know His will is always the best for us. Are you willing?

“LORD, we desire to be in the center of Your will for our lives. Help us not to deceive ourselves into thinking that our way is the right way. We remind ourselves again that You are God and we are not, and that we are fine with that.”