Proverbs 19:2

The book of Proverbs gives us insights into so many different areas of life. The book gives us instruction on how to live our lives for God. Here is a proverb that gives us insight about thinking before you move:

Proverbs 19:2 (ESV)

Desire without knowledge is not good,

and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.

It is not difficult to grasp the meaning of this proverb. We live in a society where Satan has convinced us that "thought" is not required for most things and "discernment" is for those who spend too much time in analaysis. We actual say great leaders are able to "think on their feet" and "paralyses by analyses" is bad. Don't get me wrong, there is room in the believers life for quick and diliberate decisions. But taking time to discern and to gather appropriate knowledge is in the wheel house of the wise. God wants us to discern (the entire book of Proverbs is about "discernment" - Proverbs 1). He wants us to avoid quick and rash decisions. Great leaders plan and gather data and make sure they are not making rash and uninformed decisions. When you make quick and uninformed decisions we will make errors in our steps. When we fail to see the end of the things we find ourselves in the same situation as the man in Proverbs 7 ... going astray as an ox goes to the slaughter. In Proverbs 5:6 we learned that when we fail to ponder we fail to know. Fail to ponder, prepare to wander.   In the above proverb we learn that if we fail to know we fail to go ... safely. Take time today to avoid rash decisions and use discernment.

We are in such a hurry in this life.   We want what we want fast.   We seldom see people take the necessary time to develop, learn, train, explore or practice before they want to achieve and succeed.   In the above proverb we see Solomon address this issue.   He tells us that "it is not good" to be without knowledge.   He uses the word "good" in this proverb which is used over 300 times in the Bible.   It means to be pleasant or agreeable.   So, what he is telling us is that when we don't have the knowledge we need for something we will run into a disagreeable path.   In the second line (synonymous with the first) we read, in one version, that to rush into something will err.   The word "err" means to "miss." The Theological definition and Biblical definition of sin is to miss the mark.   So, to hurry your steps is to miss the mark, or, to sin.   Knowledge, in Proverbs is referred to as wisdom, discernment, and/or prudence (See Proverbs 1:5-7 ... these words are used interchangeable in this text).   When we have knowledge we have Christ.   Without Christ we have no knowledge and we rush our steps.    Without knowledge (Christ) we err or sin.