walK with THE Wise ~ Hasty? Don't waste those seconds!

The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance,

but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.

Proverbs 21:5

I tend to make snap decisions. I'm very intuitive so I assess situations quickly - not always gathering the facts and based more on a gut level reaction, rapidly choosing a course of action and then moving right along with a significant measure of resolve.

And much of the time, this serves me well... at least humanly speaking.

Therein lies the problem... humanly speaking. What about spiritually speaking? Matthew Henry reminds us that Solomon gives us a context for this verse: "we are partial in judging ourselves and our own actions."

According to Strong's the word translated diligent, charuts (khaw-roots') properly means incised or incisive, a trench (as dug), gold (as mined), a threshing-sledge (having sharp teeth). It can also mean decisive - sharply determining, precisely and categorically what is substantive... real... actual and factual... or absolute. When I'm in a season of godliness (and let's be honest - that often comes in seasons and stretches when I'm consistently in His Word, studying and searching and praying and encountering the Almighty through His Word), those quick, pressed decisions are likely to be totally guided and inspired by Him because of the due diligence already done. 

When I'm in a season of ungodliness, where He's not often in my thoughts, rarely my primary concern and I'm in His Word on Sundays and some Wednesdays just because those happen to be church days (and let's be honest again - as much as I hate to acknowledge it, ungodliness happens and not just because of life, but mostly because of my poor choices and consistently wrong priorities), then those snap decisions are selfish and arrogant and demonstrate faulty thinking and understanding. They not only lead to poverty but reveal the poverty of my soul. And they reveal a huge lack in my life... I'm found wanting... desperately wanting.

photo credit: xTrish via photopin cc