“Desire without knowledge is not good— how much more will hasty feet miss the way!”
(Proverbs 19:2, NIV)
“In The Power of Positive Thinking, Norman Vincent Peale tells of traveling to a certain city one day to lecture. He was met at the train station by a committee who rushed him to a bookstore for an autographing party, then to another. Then he was whisked to a restaurant for a luncheon, then to a hotel with just time to change clothes before flying to another reception where he chatted with VIPs, addressed several hundred listeners, and drank three glasses of fruit punch. He rushed back to his hotel, being told he had twenty minutes before dinner. As he dressed, the phone rang. “Hurry, hurry,” said the voice, “we must rush down to dinner.”
Excitedly, Norman chattered, “I will rush right down.” He flew from the room so rattled he could hardly lock the door. As he rushed toward the elevator, he suddenly stopped, out of breath, and said, “What is this all about? What is the meaning of this ceaseless rush?” He marched back to his room, saying to himself, “I do not care if I go to dinner. I do not care whether I make a talk.” He phoned his host, saying, “If you want to save a place for me, I will be down after a while, but I’m not going to rush anymore.”
Peale sat down, opened his Bible, and read slowly aloud Psalm 121, ending with the words: “The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.” Closing his Bible, he spent time meditating on those words, breathing deeply, and praying. Twenty minutes later when he walked into the dining room, he felt like a new man. “And all I missed was the soup,” he said, “which by general consent was no great loss.”” (Robert J. Morgan, From This Verse, March 31)
There might be people around you right now who like to hurry you up. They make you feel rushed. Then again, you might be one of those people who like to speed things up. You might be impatient. You might rush headlong to get things done. Sometimes, hurrying will get you in trouble. Impatience may cause you to make mistakes or fail to plan for contingencies. Are you ever in such a rush that life passes by in a blur of commitments and appointments and engagements and plans and tasks?
Today’s scripture comes as a warning to you. The warning comes from the book of Proverbs. Proverbs is full of wisdom. It is categorized as a main part of the wisdom literature of the Bible. What wisdom does our scripture today wish to impart? Proverbs 19:2 teaches that “desire without knowledge is not good”. If you let yourself be drawn in by your desires or goals or hopes or dreams without understanding what those things require, you might rush headlong into a big mistake. Idiomatically, the verse ends with the warning, “how much more will hasty feet miss the way!” In other words, don’t be in such a hurry to fulfill your own desires or wants that you fail to adequately understand your situation, especially from God’s perspective.
A mechanic was working on a stubborn old, rusted exhaust system under a beat-up old car. He had seen many cars like this in his day. Living in upstate New York, he had seen this level of rust on too many cars. Snow and ice and road salt caused cars to fall apart with rust long before the same year and model of vehicles found down in Florida.
Dealing with the rusted-out muffler and exhaust pipe, complete with multiple rust holes, the mechanic decided to take out the bolts holding the exhaust system together. They wouldn’t budge. They were rusted in place, with the heads of the nuts and bolts worn away by years of exposure to the elements. Next, he tried to cut through the bolts and nuts. Some he couldn’t reach or adequately break. Feeling rushed for time and frustrated by the rust, the mechanic reached for a torch to cut off the nuts and free the bolts from rust. As he torched one nut, he failed to notice that there was a pin-hole leak in the gas tank just above. The fire from his torch caused gas fumes from the pin-hole leak to burst into flames under the vehicle. By the time the mechanic had put out the fire with a fire extinguisher, there was more than a thousand dollars of damage to the car and five hundred more to the shop.
As his boss inspected the damage, the mechanic fussed and fumed about his mistake. The boss replied to him, “I’m just glad you aren’t dead!” At that, the mechanic realized how close he came to an explosion that may have caused the entire business to burn down and his own death! The mechanic was so focused on hurrying to get out all the rusty bolts and replace the exhaust system, he didn’t stop to think of the danger he had placed upon everyone at the shop.
Lots of things can go wrong when you rush headlong into a situation. Acting in haste may not only be foolhardy but dangerous! Foregoing planning and research before you jump into something may cost you much more in the long run. This doesn’t occur just with purchases and loans and financial matters. It can also hit you spiritually.
A wonderful and faithful couple moved to a new area. They felt pressured in their move. Frustrated that they didn’t have the time to find a good home by themselves, they trusted a realtor to find them the best deal. Along the way, they made some rushed compromises. They ended up in a home that was too expensive for their budget and located in a neighborhood that was not safe for their children. The mistake made in buying that home caused the family much grief, led to financial strain, and some say contributed to the divorce that occurred four years later.
Are you quick to jump in bed with a new love interest? Are you motivated by envy to get rich quick? Do you go back to work too soon after an illness? Are you frustrated when things don’t go smoothly? Do you get angry when others take the time to stop and reflect? Do you feel it is a waste of time to stop and smell the roses? Are you so focused on making money that you ignore the needs of friends and family and your own soul?
Proverbs 19:2 warns that “hasty feet miss the way!” Often, hurrying can result in mistakes where you miss the obvious or lose perspective. Don’t get so caught up in the moment that you can’t see the next steps. Don’t be in such a rush that you can’t even hear God’s warnings or follow God’s direction. Impatience, over-exuberance, and rushed decisions have caused many a good soul to live with lifelong regrets.
Excitedly, Norman chattered, “I will rush right down.” He flew from the room so rattled he could hardly lock the door. As he rushed toward the elevator, he suddenly stopped, out of breath, and said, “What is this all about? What is the meaning of this ceaseless rush?” He marched back to his room, saying to himself, “I do not care if I go to dinner. I do not care whether I make a talk.” He phoned his host, saying, “If you want to save a place for me, I will be down after a while, but I’m not going to rush anymore.”
Peale sat down, opened his Bible, and read slowly aloud Psalm 121, ending with the words: “The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.” Closing his Bible, he spent time meditating on those words, breathing deeply, and praying. Twenty minutes later when he walked into the dining room, he felt like a new man. “And all I missed was the soup,” he said, “which by general consent was no great loss.”” (Robert J. Morgan, From This Verse, March 31)
There might be people around you right now who like to hurry you up. They make you feel rushed. Then again, you might be one of those people who like to speed things up. You might be impatient. You might rush headlong to get things done. Sometimes, hurrying will get you in trouble. Impatience may cause you to make mistakes or fail to plan for contingencies. Are you ever in such a rush that life passes by in a blur of commitments and appointments and engagements and plans and tasks?
Today’s scripture comes as a warning to you. The warning comes from the book of Proverbs. Proverbs is full of wisdom. It is categorized as a main part of the wisdom literature of the Bible. What wisdom does our scripture today wish to impart? Proverbs 19:2 teaches that “desire without knowledge is not good”. If you let yourself be drawn in by your desires or goals or hopes or dreams without understanding what those things require, you might rush headlong into a big mistake. Idiomatically, the verse ends with the warning, “how much more will hasty feet miss the way!” In other words, don’t be in such a hurry to fulfill your own desires or wants that you fail to adequately understand your situation, especially from God’s perspective.
A mechanic was working on a stubborn old, rusted exhaust system under a beat-up old car. He had seen many cars like this in his day. Living in upstate New York, he had seen this level of rust on too many cars. Snow and ice and road salt caused cars to fall apart with rust long before the same year and model of vehicles found down in Florida.
Dealing with the rusted-out muffler and exhaust pipe, complete with multiple rust holes, the mechanic decided to take out the bolts holding the exhaust system together. They wouldn’t budge. They were rusted in place, with the heads of the nuts and bolts worn away by years of exposure to the elements. Next, he tried to cut through the bolts and nuts. Some he couldn’t reach or adequately break. Feeling rushed for time and frustrated by the rust, the mechanic reached for a torch to cut off the nuts and free the bolts from rust. As he torched one nut, he failed to notice that there was a pin-hole leak in the gas tank just above. The fire from his torch caused gas fumes from the pin-hole leak to burst into flames under the vehicle. By the time the mechanic had put out the fire with a fire extinguisher, there was more than a thousand dollars of damage to the car and five hundred more to the shop.
As his boss inspected the damage, the mechanic fussed and fumed about his mistake. The boss replied to him, “I’m just glad you aren’t dead!” At that, the mechanic realized how close he came to an explosion that may have caused the entire business to burn down and his own death! The mechanic was so focused on hurrying to get out all the rusty bolts and replace the exhaust system, he didn’t stop to think of the danger he had placed upon everyone at the shop.
Lots of things can go wrong when you rush headlong into a situation. Acting in haste may not only be foolhardy but dangerous! Foregoing planning and research before you jump into something may cost you much more in the long run. This doesn’t occur just with purchases and loans and financial matters. It can also hit you spiritually.
A wonderful and faithful couple moved to a new area. They felt pressured in their move. Frustrated that they didn’t have the time to find a good home by themselves, they trusted a realtor to find them the best deal. Along the way, they made some rushed compromises. They ended up in a home that was too expensive for their budget and located in a neighborhood that was not safe for their children. The mistake made in buying that home caused the family much grief, led to financial strain, and some say contributed to the divorce that occurred four years later.
Are you quick to jump in bed with a new love interest? Are you motivated by envy to get rich quick? Do you go back to work too soon after an illness? Are you frustrated when things don’t go smoothly? Do you get angry when others take the time to stop and reflect? Do you feel it is a waste of time to stop and smell the roses? Are you so focused on making money that you ignore the needs of friends and family and your own soul?
Proverbs 19:2 warns that “hasty feet miss the way!” Often, hurrying can result in mistakes where you miss the obvious or lose perspective. Don’t get so caught up in the moment that you can’t see the next steps. Don’t be in such a rush that you can’t even hear God’s warnings or follow God’s direction. Impatience, over-exuberance, and rushed decisions have caused many a good soul to live with lifelong regrets.