Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
[6] In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
These familiar verses are often committed to memory and easily grasped because they hold a great promise. That being that when we stop relying on our own judgment and our own ways, and instead rely on God, He will direct us. But, we must acknowledge the Lord FIRST and bring Him into each and every step of our lives, every set of circumstances and every single decision, no matter the size. In spite of this fact, whenever men and women encounter difficulty or make a mess of a particular situation, a common saying that is often applied to the problem afterward is, “Hindsight is 20/20.” Even so, this remark is routinely used to cover up personal neglect because hindsight is perception after the fact. It is comprehension or understanding of an event after it has happened. Truth be known, hindsight is merely a backwards education!
For example, the Second Coming of Christ will be a rude awakening for many people who refused to receive a forward education. They reject Biblical instruction that requires them to look ahead at eternity with respect to the truth. In the end, hindsight will do nothing for the reluctant intellectual but escort them straight to hell! Think about it, do you really consider it wise to spend the rest of your life in a lake of fire, clinging to hindsight?? Sooner or later this mode of operation will catch up with us, saved or lost…
Ephes. 4:11-14 (KJV)
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists;
and some, pastors and teachers; [12] For the perfecting of the saints,
for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
[13] Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge
of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature
of the fulness of Christ: [14] That we henceforth be no more children,
tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the
sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
An ill-bred individual is needlessly tossed to and fro and carried about by an assortment of outside influences. Ladies, beware of the human tendency to file your mistakes under the slogan of hindsight and go on without true repentance and humility!
Are you leaning on hindsight too heavily?
Is the only way you ever learn anything through belated perception??
Are you notorious for spiritual immaturity, instability, and gullibility?
Are you in the habit of acknowledging God or leaning on your own understanding
regarding all your affairs?
Do you look for God in the progress of things or only at the end of them?
Given the fact that we have the Bible at our fingertips, the benefit of
prayer, the indwelling Holy Spirit, a man of God to shepherd us, and a
mixture of ministry helpers, hindsight is nothing more than a crutch for
our laziness and our disobedience… It is a philosophy of life wanting
in humility.
Proverbs 13:16 (KJV)
Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly.
A prudent man investigates the facts; he cultivates his comprehension - a fool does not and thus lives a reckless, unthinking life…
Proverbs 14:15 (KJV)
The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his
going.
Proverbs 22:3 (KJV)
A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass
on, and are punished.
COLON = long pause/concentrate on first part of sentence
ACTIVITY OF PRUDENCE
Proverbs 27:12 (KJV)
A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass
on, and are punished.
SEMI-COLON = short pause/concentrate on second part of sentence
CONSEQUENCES OF A LACK OF PRUDENCE
According to scripture, God would have us grow in prudence, (good sense, caution, discretion, attention to detail) foreseeing the evil and avoiding error. OUR HEAVENLY FATHER PREFERS HIS CHILDREN GET A FORWARD EDUCATION……and give one! For example, Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Like the Lord, we as parents should also educate our children in how to perform their duties, escape the dangers, and secure blessings for themselves. 20/20 vision is seeing things through God’s eyes and not our own. No man can follow Christ with his eyes in the wrong direction! God’s Word and work requires and deserves our absolute undivided attention and respect…
Luke 9:62 (KJV)
And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and
looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Looking back is off track thinking; it is a misuse of time to focus on a crooked path. Looking back interferes with plowing a straight line and suitable sowing of future crops. In the end, a lack of discipline is plainly displayed in the life of the backward Christian. Following Paul’s example, what we should do is turn our eyes upon Jesus and the straight and narrow way, and rouse our devotion to discretion…
Philip. 3:13-14 (KJV)
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I
do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto
those things which are before, [14] I press toward the mark for the prize
of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
As long as we are busy “reaching forth” and “pressing toward” we won’t get caught up in a backward lifestyle. Far too many Christians live divided lives and don’t reach the goal that the Lord has set before them. The “one thing” they should do is the “one thing” they don’t do - focus on the mark of the high calling of God!
Luke 17:32 (KJV)
Remember Lot's wife.
Here God wants us to arrest our attention with Lots’ wife - a woman who acquired a backwards education; she learned in hindsight what her priorities should have been - but what could she do about her lazy attitude in retrospect? This family was warned ahead of time, but the voice of God was not heeded. Ladies, if you keep leaning on hindsight for good perception, you must also realize that the opportunity to apply your knowledge of the truth will be no more!
Genesis 19:26 (KJV)
But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
As was the case with Lot’s family, one day you may turn to hurry home and rescue something, only to find your time is up. Better to heed God’s Word in advance and have more than a backward education to take with you as you leave this earth! What loyalties conflict with your allegiance to God?
2 Peter 2:20-22 (KJV)
For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the
knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled
therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
[21] For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness,
than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered
unto them. [22] But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb,
The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed
to her wallowing in the mire.
Undisciplined human nature is like an animal that seeks to satisfy every basic urge without thought or care for consequences. What a disgrace to be introduced to Jesus Christ as Savior, and then reject Him and all the good He has to offer! The worst part about hindsight is that we become conscious of the fact that we could have remedied the situation in a timely fashion, but neglected to put truth into practice! Thus, the need for repentance…
Deut. 32:29 (KJV)
O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider
their latter end!
Ladies, we must consider what is at stake when we fail to consider our future state. There is happiness to be lost and misery to be gained through a lack of godly consideration. Are you in the habit of taking into account the days ahead?
2 Peter 1:2 (KJV)
Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and
of Jesus our Lord,
Grace and peace are multiplied to us by acknowledging God and submitting to His management of our lives. And they will both decline, as we grow slack. God wants us to learn all our lessons by obedience, not disobedience or neglect. What we discover in hindsight, the Lord knew already, therefore, why don’t we just remain committed to God’s Word and spare ourselves the grief of a backward education! Our comprehension of things can come BEFORE the happening of a particular experience so that we know what course to take.
Ephes. 5:17 (KJV)
Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord
is.
In conclusion, God clearly commands that we should be wise and sober and acquaint ourselves very thoroughly with His will. Understanding the will of the Lord is something that must be done on purpose; it’s not something that happens by accident! Gather the facts from God’s Word, examine them, weigh them, and take action upon scriptural principles. Lost opportunities can never be regained, only filed under hindsight and lost forever. How foolish it is for believers to stumble through life and never seek or care to know the will of God! Resolve to remain faithful to the Lord, won’t you? Purpose in your heart to obtain a forward education.
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60: 1&2
Copyright 2004 Pamela A. Iannello
