Prudent or paranoid?
Xanthe Galanis

The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty. Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life  Proverbs 22:3-4

To get to the Promised Land, Israel had to cross the River Jordan while it was at in flood (Joshua 3). God had promised that when the feet of the priests carrying the ark stepped into the water it would roll back. Can you imagine their thoughts as the stood on the banks of the raging water? “Couldn’t we wait until the tide goes down? Why do I have to go first? What if the waters don’t roll back and I drown?”

Leading an entire nation into a river might not sound like the most prudent of plans, but these verses in Proverbs tell us that Joshua’s plan was the best one. That’s what prudence is; it’s being sensible and careful when you make judgments and decisions. If we are prudent and seek the Lord with humility, he will give us discernment so that we do not go down a destructive path.

Any on-lookers wouldn’t have blamed the Israelites for being more than a little paranoid about crossing the Jordan. It’s a short step from prudence to paranoia. Prudence wears a seatbelt; paranoia avoids cars altogether. Prudence prepares and plans; paranoia panics. Prudence calculates the risk and takes the plunge; paranoia never enters the water. The difference is humbly trusting God. Paranoia takes over when we rely ourselves and then realise that we cannot possibly save ourselves. Joshua trusted God, he put his life and all the Israelite’s lives in God’s hands and he was richly rewarded.

Prayer:  Lord, help me to be prudent and wise in all of my affairs, as I know I bring suffering on myself, when I fail to hear you and proceed in an unwise path. Lord, help me resist evil, and overcome the temptations in my life through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.