Proverbs 14:12 - There Are Ways That Seem Right That Lead To Death.
Proverbs 14:12 (KJV) There is a way which
seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are
the ways of death.
Proverbs 14:12 (NLT) There is a path before
each person that seems right, but it ends in
death.
Proverbs 14:12 (CWR) There is a way that
seems right to a man, but in the end it leads him
to death.
INTRODUCTION
The warning is against trusting to the
guidance of the conscience without checking the
conscience constantly against the teaching of the Word
of God. [SDA Bible Commentary]
In deciding upon any course of action we are
not to ask whether we can see that harm will
result from it, but whether it is in keeping with
the will of God. [PP 634]
COMMENTARY PEARL
Dont Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide
Every emotion is temporary, whether
its good or bad. You can be delighted at
Disneyland, but it will not last. You can be elated
after winning a game, but it will not last. You
can even be exhilarated at your wedding, but
eventually youll learn that every marriage has its
ups and downs. But the same is true for negative
feelings. If youre discouraged, upset, or sad, it
will not last. Emotions are not permanent.
Proverbs 14:12 says, You may think you
are on the right road and still end up dead
(CEV).
Have you ever heard a Christian say,
Just let your conscience be your guide? Its
true that God gave you a conscience to help guide
you. But its not foolproof. Your conscience
can be wrong. Anyones conscience can be
wrong! The Bible says, There is a path before
each person that seems right, but it ends in
death (Proverbs 14:12 NLT).
You can let your emotions guide or
misguide you. Or, you can choose to be led by Gods
Word. It will never let you down, and it always
ends in life. [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
COMMENTARY
Can we ever trust our own judgment? No, not
unless our judgment has been shaped by a
relationship with God. The way in this verse suggests a
road apart from the wisdom of God. Our own sense
of what is right or wrong, apart from God, is
not always reliable. Life may seem to make
perfect sense to someone who doesn't fear the Lord
(1:7). That's why we've been given a guide that is
perfectly reliable: God's Word. From it we acquire
wisdom to walk down the right path. [Quest SB]
What seems right to us very often is not
what is right. The only way we can know what is
right is to go to the Author of Life and discover
what He says. If we are not bringing the Bible
to bear upon our lives, we are in danger of
drifting to what seems okay. There is no substitute
for knowing what God says in His Word. We
cannot apply or comply if we don't know it. Why
not determine to read through the Bible in a
year? Today is a great day to begin this project
of earnestly reading and studying God's Word.
A regular schedule of what and how much to
read will help you attain your goal. Then you
won't have to wonder about what "seems right,"
you'll know what is right! [In His Time; Walk With
Wisdom]
What do the first seven verses of Proverbs
16 have in common? All these verses contain the
name "Lord" or "God." In fact, the divine name
occurs more than eighty times in the book of
Proverbs. It is a helpful reminder that the Lord is
the key to wise and godly living. He is the
Maker of life (14:31), and the Bible is his
divinely provided "owner's manual" to tell you how to
live life to the fullest. When was the last time
you thanked God for creating you, or
acknowledged his daily presence and provision in your
life? If it's been too long, then try this helpful
exercise. Circle "Lord" or "God" each time they occur
in today's reading. Then pray those verses that
contain his name back to God as a testimony of
praise: "Lord, thank you that ... you are my deep
strength (14:26) ... you are a fountain of life
(14:27) ..." etc. You'll find that putting the Lord
in the center of your life is precisely where
he fits best! [Daily Walk Bible re Pro.14-17]
A factory manager's assembly line was down,
so he summoned a consultant to suggest
remedies. After inspecting a huge piece of machinery,
the consultant produced a small hammer, reached
between some gears, and gave a small tap. The
assembly line worked again, and the factory manager
got a bill for $10,000. Aghast, the manager
demanded another bill itemizing the charges. When it
came, the second bill read: Tapping with hammer:
$5.00. Knowing where to tap: $9,995.00. Wisdom is
"knowing where to tap." When we need some tapping
done, we'll do it ourselves if we're wise enough;
otherwise we'll need someone who knows where to tap.
The book of Proverbs points us in both
directions - by showing us "where to tap" in many areas
of life, and by helping us seek out those who
understand what we cannot yet perceive. The proverbs
not only show us wisdom, they show us how to
seek wisdom. [Quiet Time SB]
The natural man is spiritually dead,
separated from God. He has neither the presence of God
in His life nor the knowledge of God's ways. He
has learned to live his life independently of
God. Essentially, this is what constitutes the
"flesh." His mind has been conformed to this world.
The brain, which is physical and part of the
body, functions like a computer. The mind is the
programmer. The body picks up data from the world
through its five senses. The mind chooses and
interprets the data, and the brain stores it. The
emotions are essentially a product of how the mind
chooses to think and interpret life's events.
When we are born again, the Holy Spirit
takes up residence in our life. Because we are now
spiritually alive and united with Christ, we have the
mind of Christ. We have become a partaker of the
divine nature. However, nobody pushed the clear
button in the computer. The brain is still
programmed to live independently of God....
The battle is for the mind: "For the
flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the
Spirit against the flesh; for these are in
opposition to one another" (Galatians 5:17). God has
given us the responsibility to choose. The carnal
Christian chooses to walk according to the flesh. What
governs his behavior are the old habit patterns and
thoughts that were programmed over time. The
spiritually defeated Christian fails to put on the armor
of God, and ends up paying attention to
deceiving spirits. The spiritual man has crucified the
flesh and put on the armor of God; he chooses to
think upon that which is true.
We are to be renewed in the spirit of our
minds (Ephesians 4:23). The Holy Spirit discloses
the mind of Christ. We must choose to no longer
be conformed to this world. We are to be
diligent to present ourselves approved to God as a
workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling
accurately the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). When we
do, we are transformed by the renewing of our
minds. We choose to think the truth, and the Holy
Spirit enables our thoughts and renews our minds
with the logos. Then the peace of God guards our
hearts and minds. We let the peace of Christ rule
in our hearts by letting the word of Christ
richly dwell in us (Colossians 3:15,16). We are now
equipped to discern. (From Walking in the Light by
Neil Anderson) [Inspirational SB]
The natural inclination in Christian
living is to act on the impulse of a good idea. Not
every good idea is from God. Sometimes good ideas
get in the way of God ideas.
Where does your inspiration come from?
The vision of the transfigured Christ inspired
Peter: "O Lord, it is good for us to be here. If
you wish, I will put up three shelters - one for
you, one for Moses and one for Elijah" (Matthew
17:4). Our natural impulse is to do something good
for God and suggest it to Him.
The tendency of the well-meaning person
is to prepare a plan to do some good idea, and
then pray, "Jesus, this is my plan. It is a good
plan. It hurts no one, and I want it to please
You. Lord, please bless my plan." It is plan,
then pray.
So many of our ideas are impetuous. They
are not what the Lord wants to do. They do not
resemble in any way the things which concern Him. We
have good ideas, but they are not God ideas. His
agenda and our agenda conflict. We want to build
Him a shelter but that is not what He wants....
When Peter, James, and John heard the voice of
the Lord . . . they abandoned their
inventive-but-self-made idea. The presence of the Lord magnified,
and His holiness brought them to their senses.
Jesus gained their attention, not by subduing them
with a stern scolding, but by magnifying His
presence until all the genius of their human ideas
was bleached out by His refulgent face.
When they abandoned their good idea and
fell facedown before the Lord, He could work with
them again....
When you and I abandon our good idea and
fall to our face before me Lord, then He will
come and touch us, too. When we pursue our own
plan He cannot use us. We must abandon our good
idea and fall facedown before Him. Then He will
be able to use us again. Then He will reveal
what He is doing - a God idea.... It is pray,
then plan. Through prayer, Jesus instructs of His
plan, a God idea.
Prayer removes the impulse of the good
idea, the good idea born of human ingenuity but
not of God. Pray, then plan. It is the habit of
the surrendered saint. (Walking with Christ in
the Details of Life by Patrick M. Morley)
[Inspirational SB re Mat.13:12]
Unaided human nature leads people to make
wrong choices leading ultimately to death. The
untrained conscience cannot be a trusted guide.
[Disciple SB]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY
Proverbs 14:12 - Many Paths Seem Right But
Lead To Death.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2005/20050204-0854.html
Proverbs 16:25 - Making Right Decisions.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2011/20110607-1125.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study
Guides:
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
