Moving to Chicago: Wise in My Eyes

John Eldridge writes that part of walking with God is reading Scripture intimately, not just intellectually. Every now and then we need to drop our programs and ask, "God, what do you want me to read tonight?" Sometimes you'll be led immediately to a passage. Other times you'll draw a blank. But this particular night, God led me to Proverbs 3:7.

Don't be wise in your own eyes,
fear the Lord and shun evil.

Huh? Ok... so I meditated on this verse for a few days wondering what in the world God was getting at. Then I decided to read the verse in context. Turns out it's predecessor is among the most familiar verses in the Bible:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD and shun evil.

Don't be wise in your own eyes... when you zoom the lens out just a tad, the picture becomes more revealing. Who am I going to trust? That's the real issue here. God could have gotten straight to the point and led me to 3:5-6, but I needed a warning. Don't be wise in your own eyes.

I'm a "figure it out" sort of guy. Lists, charts, equations, formulas... where would I be with out them? Weigh the pros and cons, and the balance will reveal the answer. Punch in the numbers, and you'll find the solution. What other way is there? Don't be wise in your own eyes. What other way is there? Trust in the Lord with all your heart...

Ok God... now I see. My wisdom isn't yours. Help me to seek and follow yours and suppress my own. If my family is moving to Chicago, there are a lot of things that have to be worked out. Matriculation (my new favorite word), housing, jobs, childcare, finding a new church home... I can either figure it out myself (be wise in my own eyes) or I can trust God with it.