Compare Job 18:7 with Proverbs 14:12. What similarities do you find?

The Verses in Focus

Job 18:7: “His vigorous stride is shortened, and his own schemes trip him up.”

Proverbs 14:12: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”

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Core Similarities

• Both verses expose the tragedy of self-confidence apart from God’s wisdom.

• Each highlights an internal cause of downfall:

– Job 18:7: “his own schemes” trip him.

– Proverbs 14:12: “a way that seems right” leads to death.

• The imagery points to progression cut short: a journey begun in apparent strength ends in calamity.

• Both implicitly warn that human perception, unmoored from divine revelation, is fatally unreliable.

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Shared Themes Unpacked

• Self-deception

– Heart-led reasoning (Jeremiah 17:9) blinds a person to peril.

• Consequences of Sin

– Sin’s wages are always destructive (Romans 6:23).

• Divine Justice

– God allows a person’s own choices to become the instrument of judgment (Psalm 7:15-16).

• Need for God’s Guidance

– True security is found only in walking His path (Psalm 119:105).

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Practical Application

• Examine motivations: Are my plans birthed in prayer or personal ambition?

• Submit plans to Scripture: Filter decisions through God’s revealed Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

• Seek counsel: Invite wise, godly voices (Proverbs 11:14).

• Embrace humility: Acknowledge limitations and lean on the Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6).

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Supporting Scriptures

• Psalm 1:6 – The Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

• Isaiah 30:1 – “Woe to the rebellious children… who carry out a plan, but not Mine.”

• 1 Corinthians 3:19 – Human wisdom is foolishness with God.