God's Wisdom for Navigating Life

by Timothy Keller

GO WITH DISCRETION. These verses refer not to mutual grievances between two parties who need restoration (August 4 and 5) but to a situation in which you learn of an injustice that someone has done and you decide to accuse him of it before the authorities. This warns about doing so hastily. Kidner summarizes: “One seldom knows the full facts, or interprets them perfectly (8) and one’s motives . . . are seldom as pure as one pretends (10). To run to the law or to the neighbors is usually to run away from the duty of personal relationship—see Christ’s clinching comment in Matthew 18:15b.”168

  If you hear a bad report, you should suspend judgment until you learn more. If it is something that requires action, you should usually speak to the other party personally first. If that does not help, you should seek to rectify things, always in love, and making sure that in the process other injustices are not done.169

  Have you seen a situation, either in your own life or someone else’s, where complaints were lodged too hastily and injustice was done in the end?

  Prayer: Lord, inflammatory images and rhetoric are now shared instantly and passions lead so quickly to legal action. But when I get indignant, slow me down, remind me of my own wrongdoings, and give me the courage to talk to the people personally or drop it. Amen.

  August 10

  Casting the lot settles disputes and keeps strong opponents apart. A brother wronged is more unyielding than a fortified city; disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel. (18:18–19)

  TELL IT TO THE CHURCH. A brother wronged can be unyielding. Is there any hope for reconciliation? Verse 18 proposes that in the bitterest disputes we should cast lots. In the Old Testament, lots were cast to get yes or no answers from God (Joshua 14:1–2). But the last time that method was used in the Bible was in choosing the replacement for Judas just before Pentecost (Acts 1:26). After that, decisions were made through prayerful councils (Acts 15:1–29) and elections (Acts 6:1–7) based on the Word of God.170

  How do we seek God’s will after Pentecost? Consider going to Christian leaders, presenting your case, and accepting their decision (Matthew 18:15–18). In our individualistic age, and also a time in which there are many unhealthy churches, such advice will not be welcome. But that just puts more responsibility on Christians to look for churches with leaders they can respect (Hebrews 13:7,17) and then use these leaders for help in your relationships. The Spirit is especially grieved by unresolved conflict and bitterness (Ephesians 4:30–32).

  Have you seen a situation in which church leaders helped in a dispute or to restore a relationship? Did it work? Why or why not?

  Prayer: Lord, in a time of church decline, biblical calls to respect and submit to church leaders do not sit very well. There is much malpractice and abuse in the ministry. But how good it is when godly leaders help people find the wise paths. Raise up those leaders and put them in every church. Amen.

  KNOWING THE TIMES AND SEASONS

  Guidance, Planning, and Decision Making

  August 11

  The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. . . . Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. (16:33, 19:21)

  THE GUIDANCE OF GOD. Christians want God’s guidance, that is, we want help with what decisions to make. But these verses remind us that he is already guiding us.

  God can help us in our decision making if we depend on him. But in another sense we are told God has a plan for our lives and history, and he is working it out. God is all-powerful, infinitely loving, and perfectly wise in how he loves us and in what he brings into our lives. “He works out everything according to the purpose of his will” (Ephesians 1:11), and that is for our good (Romans 8:28). This is the greatest comfort. No matter what others may try to do, God’s purposes for you will stand. It is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. No matter how much Jacob lied and deceived and created havoc in his life, still he could not thwart God’s plan for his life, that he be an ancestor of the Messiah. In a sense, for a Christian, there is no “plan B.”

  How can this truth—that God has a good plan for your life—be a comfort and help as you seek to make wise decisions?

  Prayer: Lord, you are completely just and fair and, despite appearances due to our extremely limited vantage point, you have never wronged anyone. Give me the deep contentment and peace that can only come from knowing your designs for me are flawless, though I cannot possibly fathom them. Amen.

  August 12

  To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the proper answer of the tongue. In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps. . . . A person’s steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand their own way? (16:1,9, 20:24)

  CONCURRENCE. Modern people reason that either God is in charge of history, working everything according to his plan, or we have freedom of choice. But the Bible says both are true at once. Theologians have called this “concurrence.” Jesus’ death on the cross was foreordained, absolutely certain, yet all the people who killed him were responsible for their actions (Acts 2:23).

  The plans of the heart belong to us—they are our responsibility. The way God controls history does not force us to act. Yet all we do—every one of our steps—is part of his plan. This seeming paradox, while impossible to completely fathom, is supremely practical. It gives you enormous incentive to take personal initiative—poor choices will create pain and trouble. And yet, if you do fail, remember that you can’t truly mess up your life. God will weave even your failings into his plan for you. 20:24 adds that therefore we should not worry about the fact—as others do—that we can’t control our future. It is in God’s hands.

  Have you grasped this unique biblically balanced view of history, or are you more anxious or more passive than you should be?

  Prayer: Lord, you are of eternity and I am of time, and that is why I cannot grasp how every detail of history could be under the control of your plan, and yet every human action be free and responsible. Yet they are, and I bow with fear and trembling before the incomprehensible but wonderful wisdom of this. Amen.

  August 13

  The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. . . . The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful. . . . Do not those who plot evil go astray? But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness. (11:3, 12:5, 14:22)

  NOT HOW BUT WHOM. If you survey Proverbs for methods of discerning God’s will, you will conclude that the book does not talk about how God guides as much as whom God guides. What modern people want is almost a form of magic. They want little signs and feelings in order to determine from God the right decision to make. But that is the way you may guide an infant, who cannot understand you and must be carried or led. The way you would guide a youth or adult is to speak to them so they understand and can make decisions without being led by the hand in every instance.

  Through a long path and a lot of work (Proverbs 1–4), we develop integrity and righteousness and it is through these character traits that God guides us. The more we know God, ourselves, the human heart, the order of creation, the times and seasons, the more we will have the wisdom to make good decisions. Modern people want a technique for guidance, “five steps to good decisions.” God offers wise character, hard won over a lifetime.

  Why do you think people prefer to look for signs and feelings rather than relying on wisdom to make decisions?

  Prayer: Father, my culture conditions me to desire quick answers that can fit on a slide or a short video. But you are not an answer dispenser or a wisdom cash window. Here I resolve to take the long journey to becoming the kind of person you guide. “I set my heart on pilgrimage” (Psalm 84:5). Amen.

  August 14

  The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice. . . . There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death. (12:15, 16:2
5)

  REALISM. We tend to think that if we have lived right and followed the Bible and made the right decisions, things will go well. If things are not going well, we may conclude we didn’t receive God’s guidance. But these two proverbs together give us a sobering fact about our world that you must know in order to be wise.

  12:15 says that the path to disaster seems right to a fool. That is, fools are terrible at making plans because they reject the way of wisdom (trusting God, listening to good advisers, making careful plans, controlling their emotions and words, knowing their heart, and so on). Absalom comes to mind (2 Samuel 17).

  But then 16:25 comes along, which says that sometimes the way to disaster appears to be right—period. This highly unwelcome but realistic observation is that in this world you can follow the ways of wisdom and make your plans as well as can be and things can still go terribly wrong. The wise know that sometimes all paths may run ill.171 Yet God promises that he is working all things for ultimate good and glory (Romans 8:28).

  Can you think back on some situation in your life or someone else’s in which you now see that there was no choice or option that would have brought a pleasant outcome?

  Prayer: Father, I don’t want to believe that sometimes every option, even with right action, might lead to a difficult, painful end. But this was the case for your Son—there was no escaping agony and death. But he accepted it and obeyed you faithfully in it, and new life was the result. Help me to do the same. Amen.

  August 15

  The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. . . . Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house. (21:5, 24:27)

  PLANNING. A theme of Proverbs is that impulsive haste should be avoided and forward-looking, careful planning should be part of making decisions (21:5). We are to be diligent, giving attention to detail and patience. Good planning means discerning all possible options and weighing the strengths and weaknesses of each. Even the triune God accomplished our salvation through a brilliant, well-laid-out plan (Galatians 4:1–7).

  24:27 warns (using the language of an agrarian culture) that you must evaluate how much income you will make before you know how big a house to build. It is the height of foolishness to fix our hearts on a particular lifestyle and try to live it when we don’t have the ability to support ourselves. The verse aligns with C. S. Lewis’s observation that in ancient times “the cardinal problem of human life was how to conform the soul to objective reality, and the solution was wisdom, self-discipline, and virtue. For the modern [person], the cardinal problem is how to conform reality to the wishes of man, and the solution is a technique.”172

  When was the last time you saw in your life or someone else’s the consequences of poor planning? What went wrong, specifically?

  Prayer: Lord, your plans are perfect because you are perfect in knowledge, love, and holiness. And mine are not because I am not. Your Son could not be hurried. He was never early or late, despite appearances (Mark 5:35–36). Save me from my impetuousness. Amen.

  August 16

  Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. (16:3)

  TRUST. At first glance, 16:3 seems to say we should pray, “Oh, Lord—bless my plans! Let them succeed!” and he will grant your wishes. But it does not say, “Commit your plans to the Lord.” It says, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do.” The word commit means to roll onto, to put all of your weight onto something. What the proverb is calling us to do is to unconditionally obey and trust him in every area of our lives. It is only if and as you do this that you will find that you are slowly but surely becoming a person who makes wise, realistic plans (February 18).

  What turned Joseph into the wise leader who saved Egypt and his own family? He was sold into slavery and sent to prison unjustly, but if he had not trusted God unconditionally through all those dark times, he would never have become the wise man he became. If you trust God, then as time goes on, both your good times and your bad times will turn you into the kind of person whose plans and decisions are more and more wise.

  Are you getting more wise in the decisions you are making? Why or why not?

  Prayer: Lord, you are completely sovereign—no one can thwart your will. Yet you are infinitely loving and good, so there is nothing to fear from your absolute power. Like Joseph I simply bow in submission and adoration. I submit to your good will. And just doing that will both glorify you and make me wise. Amen.

  August 17

  For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers. . . . Plans are established by seeking advice; so if you wage war, obtain guidance. . . . Surely you need guidance to wage war, and victory is won through many advisers. (11:14, 20:18, 24:6)

  CHOOSING WELL. We saw that having many advisers across the spectrum of opinion is good policy (July 19). Yet Ahab (1 Kings 22:1–39) and Absalom (2 Samuel 17:1–23), though well furnished with counselors, gave heed to the wrong ones. So advisers are a help, but they are still no substitute for the guidance of wisdom. We must learn to discriminate between bad, good, and best courses of action. How can we choose the right path?

  After getting advice from others, choose the best course in light of: any relevant biblical texts, the opinion of authorities (in family, church, and state), your conscience (James 4:17), an examination of your motives, the best use of your gifts and abilities in God’s service, and finally an assessment of your decision’s impact on others. Look at each factor, and then choose well.

  Which of these elements of good decision making (listed above) do you often miss?

  Prayer: Lord, you warn against being “double-minded” and indecisive (James 1:8). When I am, it is because I forget that you are powerful and you are loving and so I can’t ruin your good plan for me. Give me peace through knowing that, and strength to do your will. Amen.

  Insights for Our Age

  August 18

  A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a trustworthy envoy brings healing. (13:17)

  THE NEWS. In ancient times “messengers possessed an important role scarcely comprehensible to modern people.”173 In our culture of fake news and social media, no one can be sure that the messages they are getting are trustworthy. Lewis Smedes wrote: “Truthfulness is one more invisible fiber that holds people together in humane community. When we cannot assume that people communicating with us are truthful, we cannot live with them in trust that they will respect our right to freedom to respond to reality. [sic] If we cannot trust each other to respect this basic right, we have lost our chance to be human together in God’s manner. . . . Speak the truth, be the truth, for your truth sets others free.”174

  There have been societies in which people couldn’t trust what the government told them, couldn’t trust what the newspapers told them, couldn’t trust what the inspectors and police would do with them. Those societies collapsed. There is no higher priority for a healthy society than to have a truthful communications and news media. Recent technological trends, as well as ideological fragmentation, have made this a challenging goal in our time.

  Has the trustworthiness of the news media increased, decreased, or remained about the same in your lifetime?

  Prayer: Lord, it is the nature of the human heart to deceive and hide the truth to serve our own interests. By your power and grace restrain that sinful tendency of the human heart in our society. As a body politic, help us distinguish truth from falsehood. And make your people salt and light in a dark world. Amen.

  August 19

  The bloodthirsty hate a person of integrity and seek to kill the upright. (29:10)

  GOODNESS ATTRACTS HOSTILITY. A young man took a summer job in a company, and on his second day the permanent employees came to him to say, “Don’t work so hard—you are making us look bad. Slow down or else.” A policeman decided not to take the routine bribes that the pimps spread around the precinct to keep
the police from arresting their prostitutes. When the others noticed, they came and said, “If you don’t take the bribes, we won’t have your back.”175

  Christians are to be the “light of the world” (Matthew 5:14), but light exposes, and people do not want to be exposed. Simply living the way you should live can expose dishonesty in the office, racism in the neighborhood, gossip in your social circle, corruption in your government office. Just living with integrity will irritate many people. This is why simple goodness will attract hostility, just because it is good. People hate a person of integrity. The wise person is not surprised at this. We should expect this (2 Timothy 3:12), because our Lord, who was the light who exposed the darkness, got nothing less (John 1:5–11).

  Have you experienced hostility for your faith or practice? What did people find offensive or threatening? How well did you respond?

  Prayer: Father, I confess that I am shocked when people turn on me for doing right—and then I get scared. Turn my eyes to see your Son taking blows for me, and then make me “rejoice” if “counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name” (Acts 5:41). Amen.

  August 20

  Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: a servant who becomes king, a godless fool who gets plenty to eat, a contemptible woman who gets married, and a servant who displaces her mistress. (30:21–23)

  YOU CAN’T BE WHATEVER YOU WANT TO BE. A servant without ability becomes king. A contemptible woman who will make a bad wife gets married. A maidservant who (it’s implied) is unequipped becomes powerful. But these things all bring disaster—the earth cannot bear up under them. What is the point?