The main entrance to our home is a pair of glass French doors. In the spring the sun comes up directly in front of those doors filling our home with sunlight. From the outside is the reflection of the blue sky and a hillside of trees. This time of year we are awakened at dawn to the sound of a bluebird crashing repeatedly into those doors as he sees the reflection of the sky and trees. We have tried everything from hanging wreaths on the doors, netting, decals on the outside and fluorescent highlighter grids on the inside to stop the little fellow, all to no avail. Hour after hour, day after day he slams beak first into the glass. I thought, if only he could read I could hang a sign on the door reading “this is not blue sky, it is a closed door.”
I have also wondered how many times in my life the Heavenly Father has had similar thoughts about me. Times when I have been certain that I knew what was best and repeatedly crashed head first into a brick wall. Times when He said “if only he would read (My Word) he would realize this is not a good idea, it is a brick wall.”
In life, things are not always as they seem. King Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, wrote twice in the book of Proverbs:
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is death.”
(Proverbs 14:12; 27:12)
How often in life are we convinced not only that we know what is best for us, but as Christians we are reasonably sure we know what He thinks is best for us? How often are we sure that:
● God wants me to be happy, and this will make me happy.
● This is the person I am going to be with or marry.
● This is the job I am meant to have.
● This is the house (or car or boat) I am going to buy.
● This is the vacation we are going to take.
● God would never want me to go through this.
● God surely wants me to be well.
How many times have we been told “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again”, or “It’s always too soon to quit” or a thousand other cliches? Is this always right thinking?
***How often do we totally misinterpret Gideon’s Fleece Test by saying “Lord, if you don’t want me to have this then don’t let the loan go through” or “Lord, if you want me to date this person let them call me” or “this job offer is too good to be true, it must be God’s will”, or countless other times when we assume that circumstances are the way that God most often guides us. While He does often open and close doors we may not necessarily be at the right door, and sometimes what we assume is a door may not always be one. It may be a brick wall painted to look like a door. Not every door that opens is a good one, not every door that is closed is a bad one, and not everything that looks like a door is a door. So what are we to do?
The book of Proverbs is considered “Wisdom literature” in the Bible, and a form of the word “wisdom” appears 131 times in that book alone. Solomon personifies wisdom, describing her as a person who desperately wants the best for us, leading us away from harm and to good and blessings. It’s no coincidence that there are thirty-one chapters in the book of Proverbs, as there are thirty-one days in most months. Many people read one chapter of Proverbs each and every day as a part of their daily time with the Lord. Over time the wisdom of His Word soaks deep into our hearts, helping us to see life from His perspective. Whether consciously or unconsciously it becomes a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. When we pray for wisdom the Holy Spirit will bring those Scriptures to our minds, leading us in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. We are no longer mindlessly walking through life’s open doors or banging our heads against the ones that are closed. We are instead learning the better way of walking by faith.
King David, Solomon’s dad, wrote the book of Psalms which precedes Proverbs in Scripture. David is the only person in the entire Bible who is described as a “man after God’s own heart.” It was said of David that he was guided by God’s eye, meaning his relationship with God was so close that he intuitively knew God’s will for him. The book of Proverbs offers wisdom in our relationship with other people, while the book of Psalms offers wisdom in our relationship with God. There are 150 chapters in the book of Psalms, each pointing us to Him in every conceivable phase of life: in joy and sorrow, in happiness and grief, in good times and bad. Psalms 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible in which David writes of the splendor of God’s Word. Psalms 117 is the shortest chapter in the Bible in which he praises God for His steadfast love. Psalm 118 is the exact center chapter in the traditional King James Bible with 594 chapters before and after. Verses 8-9 of chapter 118 are the exact central verses of the traditional KJV with 15,587 before and after. They read:
“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man; it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.”
David was far from perfect, making several very serious, sinful mistakes, but even in those he knew where to find hope and help, mercy and grace in the Lord and how to get back on the right track quickly.
We can learn much from David and Solomon, and we have the benefit of having all of Scripture, not just the Old Testament law. We also have the benefit of the Holy Spirit to lead us in all wisdom and understanding of His Word, and to help us every step of the way. He will surely lead us to the right doors, away from the wrong ones, open them for us at just the right time, and finally He will surely tell us which ones to quit banging our heads against.