Wise as serpents

“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Matthew 10:16 ESV

            As the Westminster catechism says the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. That is our first priority, our highest end, our primary goal; and comes with inherent risks. It is very easy to throw caution to the wind and to lay down our lives in the quickest and simplest way possible. It is very easy for a man who has hated this life to commit suicide after this manner using ignorance to mask cowardice and selfishness and sin. To glorify God seems a simple task, but it is complicated in many ways by our human condition. The great difficulty we face is that we have one life to lay down, and there are many ways to do so.

            Therefore, our Lord counsel’s wisdom, the wisdom even of a serpent: see Genesis 3:1. Bringing God glory requires the full engagement of our intellectual capacities of discernment. We must spend our talents wisely to give our Lord the best return on His investment. This means thinking beyond the immediate situation. What is done today will have consequences tomorrow, and what is done here will be felt over there. The wolves are ever present, and so we must be ever vigilante.

            We ought always to ask first in every situation what will bring God the most glory.  The first question of each option that present itself is, “Does it glorify God?” If it does indeed glorify God then we must ask other questions to maximize the yield. We should try to find a safe way, an effective way, an efficient way, the very best way. We have only one life to lay down, we must get as much from it as we can.

            At the same time, we must remember that our life is already given to our Lord, and there may come a time when He commands us to give that life without regards to any other concern save obedience. He may call on us to lay down our lives in some manner that does not make sense to us, or that defies human wisdom. His ways are higher than our ways. The fear of the Lord is the very beginning of wisdom, obedience to His command is always the wisest course. Only be sure little sheep that it is the voice of Your Shepherd.

Prayer

                Our Father who is in Heaven, grant the wisdom of Heaven to live well while on this Earth. Let us hear Your voice clearly and follow wherever it calls us to go and so prove to be Your sheep.  May all we do and all we say and all we are glorify You. In the name of Christ our great Shepherd we pray. Amen.

Song

AS long as You are glorified by Sovereign Grace Music

 

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