Proverbs 30:1-33 (NLT)
1 The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh contain this message. I am weary, O God; I am weary and worn out, O God.
2 I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense.
3 I have not mastered human wisdom, nor do I know the Holy One.
4 Who but God goes up to heaven and comes back down? Who holds the wind in his fists? Who wraps up the oceans in his cloak? Who has created the whole wide world? What is his name—and his son’s name? Tell me if you know!
5 Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.
6 Do not add to his words, or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar.
7 O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die.
8 First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.
9 For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.
10 Never slander a worker to the employer, or the person will curse you, and you will pay for it.
11 Some people curse their father and do not thank their mother.
12 They are pure in their own eyes, but they are filthy and unwashed.
13 They look proudly around, casting disdainful glances.
14 They have teeth like swords and fangs like knives. They devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among humanity.
15 The leech has two suckers that cry out, “More, more!” There are three things that are never satisfied—no, four that never say, “Enough!”:
16 the grave, the barren womb, the thirsty desert, the blazing fire.
17 The eye that mocks a father and despises a mother’s instructions will be plucked out by ravens of the valley and eaten by vultures.
18 There are three things that amaze me—no, four things that I don’t understand:
19 how an eagle glides through the sky, how a snake slithers on a rock, how a ship navigates the ocean, how a man loves a woman.
20 An adulterous woman consumes a man, then wipes her mouth and says, “What’s wrong with that?”
21 There are three things that make the earth tremble—no, four it cannot endure:
22 a slave who becomes a king, an overbearing fool who prospers,
23 a bitter woman who finally gets a husband, a servant girl who supplants her mistress.
24 There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise:
25 Ants—they aren’t strong, but they store up food all summer.
26 Hyraxes—they aren’t powerful, but they make their homes among the rocks.
27 Locusts—they have no king, but they march in formation.
28 Lizards—they are easy to catch, but they are found even in kings’ palaces.
29 There are three things that walk with stately stride—no, four that strut about:
30 the lion, king of animals, who won’t turn aside for anything,
31 the strutting rooster, the male goat, a king as he leads his army.
32 If you have been a fool by being proud or plotting evil, cover your mouth in shame.
33 As the beating of cream yields butter and striking the nose causes bleeding, so stirring up anger causes quarrels.
Simple observation of the expansive wisdom and creative power of God renders insignificant the perspectives of man and even his greatest discoveries. Though much advancement has been made in uncovering the formations and functions within nature and creation, the knowledge yet to be understood far exceeds mankind’s ability to acquire—even with the aid of artificial intelligence and advanced computing tools. While such technologies may imitate and appear to recreate aspects of God’s handiwork, there remain realms of His wisdom and craftsmanship that surpass all human understanding and technical achievement.
In times of need and in the search for answers, there is an increasing tendency to rely upon human wisdom and its rapidly expanding solutions. The danger in this dependence is that the more trust placed in the next wonder drug, technological breakthrough, or creative innovation, the less dependence there may be upon the true Source from whom all wisdom originates. When the first instinct becomes reaching for the medicine cabinet or the answer app, the heart may gradually lose sensitivity to the wisdom and guidance that endure long after human solutions fail.
As we move deeper into an age filled with remarkable tools and instant resolutions, there is also an expanding opportunity for those who choose to honor and exalt the One from whom all understanding truly comes. Developing the habit of turning to Him first allows room for divine intervention in moments when even the greatest human solutions fall short. God need not become merely a final hope when every other answer has been exhausted. He is the Healer, Deliverer, Provider, and Sustainer, able to work in ways the world can never replicate—if only seeking Him becomes more natural and more desirable than relying solely upon the things that came through His inspiration and enablement.