Avoid Danger

(Prov 14:16 GW) A wise person is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is careless and overconfident.

This morning we continue our series, In our last verse Solomon told us: “only simpletons believe everything they are told,” obviously warning us from being gullible. Solomon went on to say: “the prudent carefully consider their steps,” carefully giving their decisions due diligence.

In this verse Solomon gives us an example of why that due diligence is necessary. We all know people that fail to properly consider the risks surrounding a decision and we know how dangerous the outcome can be. Solomon warns us from not properly discerning the evil or danger surrounding a situation.

We should never enter into things blindly. The fool, Solomon says, enters into the face of danger with careless overconfidence. There is a big difference between fearlessness and carelessness. I am convinced that the Father does not want us to be bound to fear. Fear is an incapacitating force that can leave even the most committed (to God) immobile. Fear moves satan, faith moves God.

I am not saying that fear is good, but I am saying that while we can (and should) strive to be fearless, we should never make the mistake of being careless.

So what is it that leads many people down the road of carelessness? The latter portion of the text gives us the answer: overconfidence. The Bible in Basic English reads: “The wise man, fearing, keeps himself from evil; but the foolish man goes on in his pride, with no thought of danger.”

Many have allowed their pride to take them where their ability was not able to keep them. Pride will get us in trouble quickly. When we operate in pride we have an inflated opinion of ourselves and of our ability; and our prideful delusion will cause us to miss the many warning signs the Father puts in our path to keep us from making mistakes. He will do His best to warn us, but if at the end of the day we choose to ignore His warnings and carelessly walk into traps, we will have to pay the price.

The Contemporary English Version does not hold back at all; it reads: “Only a stupid fool is never cautious—so be extra careful and stay out of trouble.” That’s about as plain as it could be. None of us WANT to be stupid fools. We want to grow, we want to develop, we want to become the men and women the Father desires for us to be. We want to maximize our purpose and potential in the earth, before we die; and Solomon is teaching us how. He wants us to weigh every decision, to be aware of the inherent risks surrounding every situation, and to walk in humility, because pride will cloud our judgment and cause us to be careless.

So what does this mean to you ? It means you should avoid unnecessary dangers. Be the wise person Solomon urges you to be and cautiously turn away from danger. Don’t allow pride to cause you to be careless. Many in the world see Christians as gullible, naïve, and border-line unintelligent people who blindly believe the Bible. But strong believers are careful, thoughtful, humble, and prudent. They are not blind at all.

Mature believers see danger, they have a sober opinion of their ability, and they seek to please God by only going down the roads the Father desires for them to go. They know that if the Father leads them down a dangerous path, then He will protect them, but they don’t allow prideful overconfidence to cause them to be foolish. Be wise today and carefully consider your ways.

Father, I thank You for helping me to be prudent. I am governed by Your Word and led by Your Spirit. Your Word and Your Spirit keep me from prideful arrogance. I humbly enter this day with a sober opinion of myself, my abilities and Your power. I know Your Spirit will never lead me where You cannot keep me, but I also know that I am capable of getting out of Your will and leading myself down roads that lead to failure. So I declare, right now, by faith, that I will be led of You, I will avoid foolish arrogance, I will consider my ways, I will weigh every decision, I will avoid unnecessary dangers, and I will experience the Life Your Desire for me to Live! In Jesus’ name. Amen!