Day 120, Year 1

Being Saved and Kept away from Sheol

“He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But he who walks wisely will be delivered.” (Proverbs 28:26 NASB)

“The path of life leads upward for the wise, So that he may keep away from Sheol below.” (Proverbs 15:24 NASB)

Similar to “considering himself wise” is “he who trusts in his own heart,” as stated in the first verse of today. This kind of self-conceit is a mindset of self-affirmation and self-reliance, akin to self-righteousness. Besides the wealthy, some educated people could easily fall into the trap of considering themselves wise. Furthermore, in some cultures, people who practice saving face are usually accustomed to avoiding their problems when interacting with others, thus breeding an unhealthy attitude of self-conceit from daily social life. Hence, to address the issue of self-conceit, believers might often need to confront the evil trends and blind spots in the culture and interpersonal relationships. We should also seek wisdom from God through the scriptures and adjust our own thoughts and decisions according to His judgments. Before making decisions, we should always pray and wait for God’s response so as to know and follow His opinions and thus be free from self-conceit.

The first verse of today states, “he who walks wisely will be delivered.” This means that even those who walk in wisdom might still encounter troubles or difficulties, finding ourselves in situations needing to be delivered. Therefore, pursuing wisdom does not guarantee a smooth life. The key is that even in difficult situations, as we pray, the Lord Jesus will grant us wisdom, rescue us from illness, discouragement, confusion, dilemmas, or death, and revive our lives with vitality. In my understanding, wisdom enables us to find the true Jesus Christ accurately. In fact, seeking His salvation when needed and always obeying His guidance should be the common practice of God’s people.

The second verse of today mentions that “the path of life leads upward for the wise.” The word “upward” in Hebrew, ma’al, means “on higher ground than with the locative.” This implies that the path of life for the wise would first transcend our conventional perspectives and horizons, including being delivered from earthly dilemmas. “Path” in this verse, ‘orach in Hebrew, also denotes the meaning of “way of living.” In other words, God’s wisdom makes us increasingly vibrant, leading us to be fully alive, delivered from all the powers of darkness and Sheol behind the troubles; and ultimately, leads us to ascend to where the Lord of life is. The outcome of choosing divine life and wisdom is to depart from Sheol, always ascend to God’s presence, live before Him, and have victory on earth.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you think you are surrounded by an atmosphere of self-conceit? If so, how could you lean on the Lord to sweep away all self-conceit in your life?

2) Do you long to break away from the powers of darkness or Sheol and ascend the path of life to God’s presence? If so, what corresponding actions are you going to take