How Can Man Understand?

Proverbs 20:24

A man’s steps are from the Lord;
how then can man understand his way?

How can a man understand his way apart from the Lord who works all things for his glory and purposes? The secular philosopher, despite his intellectual prowess, takes the wrong first step in his contemplation as he tries to understand his way. One may build insight upon insight, but if the foundation is not the Word of God, it is but a make-believe building.

Our own lesson as Christians is to accept that the mystery of God’s secret counsels and his way of ordering man’s steps is beyond our ability to understand. How is it that we will make our decisions today about the steps we take will serve God’s purpose? How is it that today we will ponder how to answer someone, what weighty decision to make and then later look back and acknowledge God’s purpose in what took place? Even as e consciously do so, we will not have full insight.

It is good to explore the ways of God and of man. But it is critical to do so in humility; even more so to do it in trust – trust that God is good and in control. We can never fully understand God’s ways, but because of his love demonstrated by sending his Son to make atonement for us, we can trust him to do what is right and ultimately what is good for us.

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