“Happy is the man who finds wisdom…. All the things you desire cannot compare with her. Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honor. Her ways are pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are those who retain her. (Prov. 3:13-18)
Scripture shows that God’s wisdom to our lives results in fruitful living, productivity, success, a long life peace of mind, and honor. A tree is something others partake of. According to this scripture, if we follow the way of life (wisdom), we become a tree of life – a source of nourishment to those who partake of what we produce. Conversely, if live by the wisdom of man, we will become a detrimental tree, and those who partake of what we produce will gravitate toward toil, stress, insufficiency, sickness, selfishness, and other byproducts of spiritual death.
Returning to Proverbs 14:12. We read, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” When we examine the first part of this verse, we know it can easily apply to anyone, Christian and nonbeliever alike. There is a way that seems right – it seems good, wise, beneficial, strategic, acceptable, profitable, and so forth. Yet the warning is clear: what seems good may actually bee detrimental, harmful, and nonproductive – the way of death.
The author of Hebrews writes this sobering exhortation to believers: …We have much to say…. Since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food…. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Heb. 5:11-12, 14).
It is clear that discernment is a key factor in determining what is truly good and what is truly evil. In other words, what’s truly good is not always clear to our natural thinking, reasoning, or senses.
You may ask, “Didn’t the author of Hebrews say that our senses can be trained to tell the difference?” He did, but what senses was he referring to? You’ll notice at the beginning of these verses, the author said he was writing to these Christians whose hearing had grown dull. What hearing was he referring to? Did all the Hebrew believers need hearing aids? Hardly. He was referencing the ability to hear in our hearts. Jesus constantly taught, “he who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Matt. 11:15). Virtually all those who received this teaching had physical ears, yet not all of them had a discerning heart to hear the Word of God, which was best for their lives.
One of Jesus’s main team member, Peter, spoke of protection and long life to Jesus. It seemed certain that he was giving his Boss good counsel. Yet Jesus reprimanded him sharply by stating his interests were clearly not God’s (see Matt. 16:21-23). This is only one of many scriptural examples I could give illustrating how good and evil are not openly evident.
Solomon prayed, “Give me an understanding heart so that I can … know the difference between right and wrong. (I Kings 3:9 NLT). It takes an enlightened heart, one that is trained, to identify what God calls good and evil. Eve was perfect in every way, and in the garden where she resided the presence of God was powerful and strong. However, what she discerned to be good, pleasant, and profitable was actually evil and detrimental for her life. She was deceived and suffered because of it.
And thus, we are brought to the purpose of this book: To illuminate, through the Scriptures and the help of the Holy Spirit, the difference between what is good for your life and what ultimately will be detrimental. If Eve, who was perfect and living in a flawless environment, could still be deceived, how much easier is it for those of us with imperfect minds and living in a corrupted world – a skewed society – to be deceived into judging what is damaging to be good?
Good or God? Why Good Without God Isn’t Enough? John Bevere pages 10-12.