There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. [Proverbs 14:12 (ESV)]
The book of Genesis is filled with thoughtless decisions that led to trouble. Although Eve knew the forbidden fruit would give her the knowledge of good and evil, I doubt she asked herself why she wanted it, what she’d do with it, or how God would react to her disobedience when she ate it. Look at Sarah with her bright idea to give Hagar to Abraham to make a baby. Did she pause and consider how she’d feel about sharing her husband with her maid or that Hagar and the child would be a constant reminder of her own infertility? Did Lot’s wife think to ask herself why she’d been told neither to stop nor look back at Sodom before she took that fatal last look?
What about Rebekah? When she helped Jacob steal Esau’s blessing, did she give thought to the ramifications of such deception? Did she think Esau wouldn’t be angry? She ended up losing both of her boys that day—one to safety in Haran and the other to anger and his desire for revenge. After Isaac discovered her part in the ruse, their marriage probably suffered as well.
Did Reuben pause to consider the consequences of sleeping with his father’s concubine? It was at his father’s deathbed that he learned his recklessness cost him his birthright blessing. His brother Simeon and Levi paid even more heavily for their deceit and violence against the people of Shechem when Jacob cursed rather than blessed them. Because of the brothers’ rash behavior, their people would be scattered throughout the land and without inheritance rights. And that’s just in Genesis! It goes downhill from there.
Every time I read through the Bible and see the consequences of people’s impulsive behavior, I ask, “What were they thinking?” What if David had taken five minutes to ask God about moving the Ark or summoning Bathsheba? What was Solomon thinking when he directly violated God’s law by accumulating 700 wives and 300 concubines and then worshipping idols? And he was supposed to be the wise one! What if Rehoboam had consulted God instead of his cronies when deciding whether or not to lighten the burden on his people? It’s bad enough that none of these people bothered to think through the effects of their rash decisions but, worse, they never bothered to consult with God about them. Unlike the people in Genesis, they even had the Torah to guide them!
Some people make their decisions by weighing alternatives and looking beyond the immediate results to the long-term effects, possible precedents, and potential complications. Other people are more gut-feeling emotion-driven choice makers. Most of us probably fall somewhere in-between. No matter how we approach a decision, however, we always want to stay in God’s will. While prayer is a good place to start, God is often silent as to our exact plan of action. Perhaps that’s because He’s already revealed His will in Scripture. It is in God’s Word that we find the wisdom and principles that should guide us in making our decisions: repent, believe, obey, forgive, love, be truthful, work hard, share, serve, trust in Him, and glorify Him in all we do. If we always do that, it’s unlikely someone will ask in disbelief, “What were they thinking?”
Devotions of the Heart 