Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil.
(Proverbs 3:7 ESV)
There’s a moment we’ve all faced. A time when we know what the right choice is, but something in us hesitates. Not because we’re confused, but because we’re tempted. In that moment, the path splits. One direction leads toward what we know is good. The other… not so much.
Proverbs 3:7 speaks directly about that moment: “Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.”
The Hebrew word for “turn away” is sur (סוּר), pronounced “soor.” It means to depart, to remove oneself, to deliberately step aside from something. It’s not something that happens accidentally. Sur is an intentional act of separation. It’s the decision to say, “I’m not going that way.”
Notice the connection in this verse: “Do not be wise in your own eyes… turn away from evil.” These two ideas are tied together. The reason we don’t turn away from evil is often because we trust our own judgment too much. We convince ourselves we can handle it. That we won’t go too far. That it’s not as serious as it seems. In other words, we become “wise in our own eyes.”
But wisdom in Scripture begins with the fear of the Lord. That’s not terror, but reverence, humility, a deep awareness of who God is and who we are not. It’s recognizing that his ways are better than ours, even when our instincts tell us otherwise.
And when that kind of reverence takes root, it leads to action. We sur. We turn away.
Turning away from evil isn’t always dramatic. Sometimes it’s as simple as changing the channel, closing the browser, or walking away from a conversation. Other times it’s more difficult. Ending a relationship, confessing a hidden sin, or choosing integrity when it costs you something. But in every case, sur requires that we make a decision.
It’s not enough to recognize evil. It’s not enough to feel uneasy about it. Wisdom calls us to step away from it.
And here’s something important: sur is not just about what we leave behind. It’s about what we move toward. You can’t move in two directions at once. When you sur from evil, you are also turning toward life, toward peace, toward the presence of God. It’s not a loss, but a redirection.
So the next time you find yourself at that fork in the road, remember sur. You don’t have to stand there and wrestle with the decision forever. You don’t have to flirt with how close you come to the edge. By God’s grace, you can step away.
Choose the path of wisdom. Turn aside from what harms. Walk toward the one who gives life.
Prayer: Father, help me not to trust my own understanding above yours. Teach me to fear you with a humble and reverent heart. Give me the strength to turn away from evil when I see it, even when it’s difficult. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Alan Smith
Reprinted with permission from Alan Smith’s Thought For the Day