But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from my hand: You will lie down in torment. – Isaiah 50:11

Today's Scripture Reading (August 2, 2020): Isaiah 50

Leadership coach Lolly Daskal argues that our learning falls into three areas. First, there is what we know we know. These are the things of which we, at least internally, are confident and certain. These are the areas where we do a great job. When people ask questions, we know the answers. We know what we know. The second area is the things that we know we don't know. Maybe we don't admit to the items present in this area, 'I don't know' often seems to be words that we don't say easily, but we know that there are things that we don't know. The third category, and maybe the most dangerous category, are the things that we don't know that we don't know. In these gaps, occurring in various areas of our life, we are simply clueless. The danger of this third area forms in multiple ways. Sometimes the deficits occur in the areas where we know we don't know. But the more dangerous arena might be when this happens in the area where we think we are proficient. We think we know, but the reality is that we don't. If we overestimate what we know, and underestimate what we don't know, our ignorance can carry us down a dark path.

It is this area of "you don't know what you don't know" that God speaks of through Isaiah. He tells the people to march confidently in the light of the torches (knowledge) with which they have provided for themselves. They are to consider themselves the experts in everything of any importance. But we should not miss the sarcasm speaking through Isaiah. The people don't know what they don't know. And for that reason, they are destined to fail. They think they are the experts, but the reality is that they are ignorant. And this might be one of the most terrible sins available to us; to insist on walking in the torchlight of our knowledge, when we have the opportunity to walk in the light and knowledge of God.

Micah argues that God has shown us what is good. "To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8). And none of us should overestimate the virtue of walking humbly. We don't know what we don't know, and because of that, the world is a minefield waiting to take us down. And if we are convinced that we do know, then we will miss the learning opportunities that take place all around us. And this includes matters of faith.

For me, I try to keep what I know to a minimum. Maybe all we can do is echo the words of Paul to Timothy. "I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day" (1 Timothy 1:12). Maybe that is enough to know.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 51