Proverbs 18:13 He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.
This passage of scripture cautions us against making hasty conclusions, before thoroughly investigating the facts, and before carefully weighing the pros and cons, and the variables that could occur to adversely affect a situation or an expected outcome. As a general rule of thumb, it is always better to wait to let situations play themselves out naturally, in instances where we cannot ascertain the outcome, or simply do not know the facts.
This advice would have been of tremendous benefit to those who went out on a limb and hastily concluded that Brazil would win Germany in the world cup games which took place this week. Millions of dollars were bet on the assumption that because of the historical facts, Brazil would inevitably win, and because of this foregone conclusion, many soccer fans suffered heartbreaking disappointment, as their favorite team experienced a stunning, and almost unbelievable defeat.
The Bible cautions us against drawing hasty conclusions in any matter, for we should remember at all times that we are finite beings, and therefore cannot always accurately predict future events, even though current trends and historical data may speak to the contrary. Let's read:
Proverbs 27:1 Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. 2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
In our own personal lives, this counsel needs to be adopted, for there are many instances in which we may feel quite confident about what we think we know, and thus, we sometimes say things or make decisions without examining all the facts, or waiting on God to lead us in the ways of His choosing. In our own experience we found this scriptural advice to be pertinent and true, for we almost signed a contract to purchase an expensive piece of shop equipment for $32,000.00, before examining all the facts and reading the details.
But God is faithful, and He often saves His people from making serious mistakes, since His mercies are renewed to us every morning. While in my office with the gentleman who was to provide the new equipment, The Lord cautioned us to turn the pages and read the fine print, and sure enough, there on another page in small letters was a clause stating that by signing, we were agreeing to the fact that the company could change the terms and conditions of purchase and payments without any prior notice to us, and therefore we would be legally bound to a condition we had not catered for.
The instructions given in God's word are many, but if they are studied intently, and adopted in our everyday lives, they serve the purpose of keeping us from many unseen dangers and pitfalls, whereby the devil seeks to shackle us with many unnecessary problems and regrets. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which calls on us to seek first that wisdom that comes from God and His word, so that we can make straight paths for our feet. Let's read:
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
May we be found humble enough, to follow the timely instructions given in God's word, for they are written with our best temporal and eternal good in mind. God bless!