Parenting by the Book
STUDY 246
Text: Proverbs 20
12 March 2006
Dear Parents,
DANGER OF HUMAN ARROGANCE
How do we look at the future and plan for it? The Book of James warns against the danger of becoming arrogant about our planning for the future.
Come now, you who say,
‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city,
Spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit.’
Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow.
For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appears
For a little time and then vanishes away.
Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills,
we shall live and do this or that.
But now you boast in your arrogance.
All such boasting is evil.’James 4:13-16
What are some of the expressions of arrogance?
1. Planning without due reference to God.
2. Thinking that we have control of our life.
3. Boasting of our plans.
4. Focusing only on material wealth.
The danger that James warns about is something that we are all too aware of. No one is free from this danger of human arrogance.
AN OLD PROVERBIAL SAYING
Let us take time to ponder this saying from the Book of Proverbs. The theme is akin to that of James.
A man’s steps are of the LORD;
How then can a man understand his own way?Proverbs 20:24
1. The arrogance of claiming full knowledge of our human ways.
2. The ignorance that God Himself has planned all the steps of man.
Let us take heed to these wise words. The only way we should plan would be to ask God to reveal His will for our lives to us.
Prayerfully,
Pastor Charlie