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Desire without knowledge is not good–

How much more will hasty feet miss the way!

~Proverbs 19:2 (NIV)

 

Good morning dear Sister!

May the Lord bless you for taking the time to ponder His Word today! 

Having taken Pastor’s challenge to read a chapter of Proverbs every day, today I opened my Bible to the chapter of the day. It only takes a few minutes to read a chapter, especially if you don’t stop to consider the verses that take a little more than an “oh yeah!” or “that makes sense.”.

The Book of Proverbs in my Bible is highlighted in so many colors that I “know” I’ve read these passages several times already, but this time I stopped to ponder verse two for a moment. Most of the proverbs are familiar to me, but I had to ask myself, how much do I really know, or practice what I know?

What is ‘desire without knowledge’? The NASB translates verse two like this, “Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, and those who make haste with their feet err. (sin)” To make haste with your feet sounds like moving ahead without a plan. And, you can’t have a plan without knowledge!

For example, I like to sew. I especially enjoy putting a quilt together. As a clothing seamstress, I used to tease my best friend, who was a quilter, about taking a perfectly good piece of fabric, cutting it into a thousand pieces and then sewing it back together again! I didn’t understand her desire to do that, nor did I have any knowledge about it.

As time went on though, she drew me into it and I discovered that I liked working with fabric that way too. I was beginning to have the desire, but my knowledge was lacking. Mistake number one was thinking “I’m only buying these little bits of fabric for quilts instead of the yards I would need to make a garment. I’m saving so much money!”

As the bug bit me and started running through my bloodstream, I, again without knowledge, entered into the quilting community which did nothing but entice me to competition, along with purchasing so many interesting tools, gadgets & quilt kits that I now have more projects in my house than I can complete unless the Lord lets me live for another hundred years! 

I have erred, my feet have made haste without a plan. I had good intentions for sure, but now I also have a roomful of projects that I can never hope to finish and that’s a bit of a burden. And, someday, it will be someone else’s burden to clean it all out.

That might seem like a silly example, but how many times in life do we move forward without really thinking about where our desires might lead us? Even when our desire is for a worthy and upright outcome, such as walking with the Lord or taking care of our families, it is imperative that we pray and seek knowledge and wisdom first!

Usually, our desires are very clear, but the path to fulfilling that desire may be a little fuzzy. Sometimes our desire is so grand that we have to attain it bit by bit over time, like buying a vehicle or a house, or getting a better job. We need to gather knowledge of what’s necessary to achieve that. We need to have a plan so we keep our feet within the boundaries of the path we’re about to take.

God doesn’t mean for us to spend our lives bouncing around like ping pong balls. It’s not His plan for us to be weighed down with debt or overloaded with useless stuff. We may have a plan for our own life, but He has a better one!

Even if you are at a point where you are experiencing the consequences of fulfilling a desire without knowledge, God is willing and more than able to help you through it! Remember how much He has brought you through already, it is never too late to come to Him! 

God also works through His people: Proverbs 15:2 says ”Without counsel plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established!” He may even bring someone who has the very knowledge or wisdom you need to you.

So why not take your present desires and dreams to the Lord? He already knows about them and is waiting for you to ask for knowledge and wisdom! Trust Him to guide you on His path. His desire is for your good, your peace, your fulfillment and freedom in Him!

Give those hasty feet a rest, my sister!

Keep loving Jesus and moving forward!

With love, your sister, Celeste