Ecclesiastes 7:19

“Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.”

One Saturday afternoon I was watching an American college football game. It was a close low scoring match between two highly ranked teams. The score was tied late in the game and you got the feeling that whoever scored last would win.

The defense for the visiting team had been very aggressive the entire game. They were strong, quick and well coached. It seemed like every time the offense would get some momentum, the defense would come roaring back and shut down the offense.

Then with less than a minute left in the game, an assistant coach in the booth above the field called in a play to the head coach who was on the sidelines. Because of his overhead position he was able to see patterns in the defense when their offense ran certain plays.

The head coach was a little skeptical at first; the assistant coach called a simple play, but unusual for this situation. It would mean that the head coach would look like a genius if they won, or a fool if they lost the game…in front of tens of thousands of people in the stands and millions watching by television. He was well aware of the risk.

The head coach had to make a decision…trust in what he could see from his vantage point or the perspective of someone who had been watching the entire field of play. Trust in his own knowledge or the knowledge and assessment of the assistant, who actually designed that play and several others in the playbook. Because of his relationship with the assistant coach (they had known each other for years), the head coach decided to trust his assistant. The other coaches on the field looked on in disbelief.

The play was relayed into the players. They knew it was a trick play, but figured that they would trust the coaches. They ran the play and used the defense’s aggressiveness against them. The play worked and they won the game.

The key to victory wasn’t the trick play itself, but victory came on knowing when to use it in the game, based on how the defense was playing.

God has given us a Playbook for life. The Book clearly lays out all the commands, guidelines and principles needed to successfully navigate through every situation. He sees the entire “playing field” from beginning to end. What is key to knowing “what play to call” at a given moment is in our personal relationship with Him; our faith in His character and nature.

His knowledge and principles applied at the right time, in the right way can only come by hearing and obeying His “still small voice”, regardless if we fully understand what He’s doing.

What voice do you listen to when you make decisions? Do you always depend on your own understanding? Do you trust God more for an outcome or in His character? The earthly opinions of a dozen people are no comparison to the Wisdom of God who wrote the “Playbook of Life”.

Trust in Him with all your heart and don’t lean on your own understanding for support. But instead as you journey through life, walk with a deep, personal, and relational knowledge of Him. He will then direct your steps; they will align with His will and commandments and will be pleasing, upright and correct. (Proverbs 3:5-6)