Focus

Not being able to see can be frustrating and definitely painful. Have you ever stubbed your toe on something in the dark because you couldn't see? That can be so painful! Not seeing what is coming can also be dangerous.

"A discerning person keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth." -Proverbs 17:24

When I was in high school, my dad and I got blind sided by another car on our way home from school. I can remember the car rolling over and over as my head and arm broke out sections of glass. We finally came to rest with the passenger side of the vehicle (my side) flat on the ground. It was a few minutes later that rescuers rocked the car back to an upright position and an emergency crew cut me out of the wreck. They placed me on a stretcher and into an ambulance where I was quickly taken to a hospital emergency room. They patched me back up and told me that I would feel the impact of the accident more in the next couple of days. They weren't lying about that. Over the next couple of days the pain increased greatly. This was something I have never forgotten, and never want to go through again. If only we had seen the problem coming.

As bad as the pain of being blind sided in a traffic accident is, the pain of being blind sided by foolish actions, bad choices, etc., can be even more devastating. In Proverbs 17:24, Solomon warned, "A discerning person keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth." When we loose sight of wisdom, we loose focus on what is important. Wisdom is the ability to see things from God's perspective and then use scriptural principles to answer those challenges. Solomon was clear to advise that wisdom needs to be in our plain sight.

What causes wisdom to not be in plain sight? Solomon said it was the wandering eyes of a foolish or thoughtless person. Once again, we tend to stub our toes in the dark because we don't have a light to illuminate our way. Sometimes we get blind sided because we weren't carefully watching out. So, how can we be sure to not lose sight of wisdom? David wrote "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path" (Psalm 119:105). When we slip on our life's journey or get blind sided by sudden circumstances or situations it is simply because we have not allowed God's light to shine brightly for us to see.

If your life seems a little out of focus, or you just can't seem to get wisdom in plain sight, turn to God's Word for the light to guide you. And, if you do happen to stumble, know that God is there to lift you back up. So, dive in. I try to read one of the chapters of Proverbs every day. That is how I came across Proverbs 17:24.

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