Proverbs 3:7-10,  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:  So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

Be not wise in thine own eyes! The message is, do not let your eyes be in charge.

For a person whose eyes are in charge looks at himself and concludes that he is wise based upon what he sees.

He perhaps sees a person successful in this world, a person who has the world's goods, a person who may have the world's power, or he may have an appearance approved by the world.

All things that he sees lends credence to his own opinion that he is wise.

But man looketh on the outward appearance and man will adjust his outward appearance to be seen as wise especially in his own eyes.

So be not wise in thine own eyes means do not think that your outward appearance has anything to do with being wise.

Do not put on an appearance to yourself and to others reinforcing your opinion of yourself as wise.

For the wise in their own eyes are the same as those who lean to their own understanding.

They may mentally seek counsel but their conclusion is, who is a better counselor than myself.

The person who is wise in his own eyes counsels with himself instead of fleeing for refuge to God.

Wouldn't a person who is wise in his own eyes naturally lean to himself as the one to provide wisdom?

This is simply deceiving your own self.

Proverbs 12:15,  The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.

Those who are wise in their own eyes do not seek the wisdom of God.

Those that are wise in their own eyes do not know their dangerous condition and because of this they refuse to trust, they refuse to flee for refuge.

Those that are wise in their own eyes refuse the counsel of God which would reveal to them the great danger of living without God.

Why are some saved and why are others lost.

This is the key.

The wise in their own eyes are deceived by what they see through the eye.

This is their view of reality when reality can only be seen by faith.

Jesus said this in John 3:3, .... Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

And a man who is wise in his own eyes is blinded to the kingdom of God.

For based on the eye they think of themselves more highly than they ought to think. They look through rose colored glasses.

This is thinking that all is well when all is not well.

And it also generates thoughts, many times misplaced, that others think of you highly when in fact they think of you not at all.

This world is so constructed that those who are wise in their own eyes are much encouraged to not only continue but to amplify that thinking.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 3:18-21,  Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;

Paul writes that you must become a fool to become wise.

He could have also said, "You must become a fool to be saved."

If you think that the world will think you a fool by being saved you are right.

So son, the way not to be wise in thine own eyes is to fear the Lord and you will then depart from evil.

Fearing the Lord results in your faithless eyes being turned from yourself to being turned in faith to God and away from evil.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus the song says.

The father has already said that the keeping of his law and commandments will add length of days, and long life, and peace.

He attaches physical benefits to obedience.

He continues that instruction as he says that being not wise in thine own eyes, fearing the Lord and departing from evil will be health to your navel and marrow to thy bones.

This father speaks of the navel which was considered as the center or strength and the bones indicate the body.

Son, living a real life knowing the mind of God and believing what God says about you will bring health to the body and the mind.

Isaiah 26:3,  Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Those who do not flee to the Lord for refuge are only deceiving themselves by thinking that they can go it alone.

But by going alone without their creator they simply forsake the safety and protection of the Lord and continue to live in great danger

Those who see themselves as wise without God see themselves as owning themselves without allegiance to anyone.

But God's word is very clear that all souls belong to God and he will do with them as he sees fit.

Ezekiel 18:4,  Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Proverbs 3:9,  Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

Son being wise in thine own eyes will not reveal this truth to you.

Being wise in thine own eyes will always place you first on any list.

But this truth is that the Lord is to be first on all your lists.

As Paul wrote about Christ in Col 1:18: And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

You are to abound in giving to the Lord of your substance.

If you know that the Lord is your refuge then your heart should be interested in furthering the program of the Lord.

Your desire is that the Lord's work prosper.

That is to be your first consideration and this principal of honoring the Lord with your firstfruits will test that desire and reveal to you where your heart is.

This is a litmus test of the believer or the pretender.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:21: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Son, God's word is like litmus paper.

(Litmus paper turns red in acid (having a ph less than 7) solutions and blue in alkaline (having a ph of 7 or more) solutions.)

As litmus paper reveals an acid solution or an alkaline solution the word of God reveals your heart whether it is turned toward God or away from God.

Is it acid red or alkaline blue?

So Son, if you desire to know where your heart is in relation to God you simply are to look where your treasure is.

Where do you spend the treasure of your time, the treasure of your money, the treasure of your thoughts, and the treasure of your strength?

Nothing in this world will reveal your heart to you for the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it?

Only God's word will reveal your heart it to you.

But neglect this command to Honour the LORD with thy substance, and we reveal ourselves as robbers of God keeping that which he requires of us for our own selfish purposes.

We show dishonor instead of honor by loving the world more than we love the prosperity of God's work.

Proverbs 3:10,  So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

Jesus said it to his disciples this way in Luke 6:38,  Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

This is how I fill the popcorn bags in the concession stands. Good measure, packed down, shaken together, try to get one more popped kernel in the bag but the last ones always run over.

But they run over for the next bag.

The overflow from your bag is the primer for the next bag. Robert does the same with the French fries.

The scooper is designed to pick up a large amount of fries and put them in a small container.

Pack them in for the customer and he or she will come back for more.

Give and it shall be given unto you.

Give out there on the ball fields and men shall give into your bosom.

For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.