Proverbs 21:30
No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel
can avail against the Lord.
Proverbs is all about wisdom, its value and benefit and guidance. But really what that means is that Proverbs is all about God–how he thinks, what he values, and how we can walk with him. It reminds us that to walk with God is true wisdom and that God’s ways always work out best in the end. So when Proverbs 21:30 tells us No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the Lord, what it is really saying is that there is no true wisdom or worthwhile counsel apart from God.
All of human wisdom, every scheme of man, every collection of seemingly powerful people cannot compete with the wisdom of God. This gives us hope in three ways.
- God is, has always been, and always will be in control. Psalm 2 tells us he sits on his throne and laughs at the schemes and ravings of a mad world. This isn’t a competition. It’s the vain efforts of a world in rebellion to overthrow our sovereign, loving, good God. And they have no shot.
- If we walk in the wisdom of God we will be secure in our souls. This starts with the fear of the Lord–treating God as if he is who he says he is in every aspect of our lives. And from there it is a daily process of learning to see as God sees, to think as God thinks, to value what God values, and to live in a way that honors him. Wisdom isn’t always easy, but it is not complicated either.
- God has given us the keys to wisdom. He is not keeping his heart or his goodness or his desires a secret. He invites us into the security of wisdom and teaches us how to walk in it so that we are near his heart and wrapped in his security at all times.
I originally wrote this post for my church, Immanuel Nashville, in our Daily Pulse email. If you want encouragement from God’s word delivered Monday thru Friday to your inbox, I encourage you to subscribe.
