"Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity" (Prov. 28:14, ESV). I once overheard someone say that the will of God was like a brick wall. I assume they meant that when we live within the will of God, it protects us, and when we live outside of God's will we keep running into it. God's will is impossible to thwart. What God has decreed will come to pass.
Those who walk in the fear of the Lord continually adjust their lives in response to God's Word. The Lord has revealed much of his will through the Word. Wisdom dictates that we obey what he has revealed, because only then can we know we are in the will of God.
Yet, we must remember that the will of God is not exhaustively revealed to us in the Scriptures. He has not told us all he has decreed. However, the decrees that he has revealed are sufficient to guide us.
Thus, this proverb warns that continually hardening of the heart leads to calamity. If one knows what to do, and fails to do it, the end result will not be pleasant. For example, imagine a man that has knowledge of the range of symptoms that accompany a heart attack. He begins to experience tightness in his chest, sharp pains shooting down his left arm, and feels sick to his stomach. In spite of his knowledge, he ignores the symptoms and dies. His refusal to heed the warning signs brings about dire consequences.
Refusal to heed the teachings of Scripture also has dire consequences. The Word of the Lord instructs us in the way in which we should walk. It gives us the prescription for life, both here and in the hereafter. Therefore, we must decide if we will walk in the fear of the Lord or will we harden our hearts? If we chose foolishly, it will cost us dearly.
No comments:
Post a Comment