July 15, 2009

Please stop doing that!

Proverbs 26

Bridget Horan
Wednesday's Devo

July 15, 2009

Wednesday's Devo

July 15, 2009

Central Truth

We are all fools at times (and lazy!), which results in making irresponsible choices without the Lord's wisdom and guidance.

Key Verse | Proverbs 26:11

Like a dog that returns to its vomit,
so a fool repeats his folly.
(Proverbs 26:11)

Proverbs 26

Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
    so honor is not fitting for a fool.
Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying,
    a curse that is causeless does not alight.
A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
    and a rod for the back of fools.
Answer not a fool according to his folly,
    lest you be like him yourself.
Answer a fool according to his folly,
    lest he be wise in his own eyes.
Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool
    cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.
Like a lame man's legs, which hang useless,
    is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
Like one who binds the stone in the sling
    is one who gives honor to a fool.
Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard
    is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
10  Like an archer who wounds everyone
    is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard. 1 26:10 Or hires a fool or passersby
11  Like a dog that returns to his vomit
    is a fool who repeats his folly.
12  Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?
    There is more hope for a fool than for him.
13  The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road!
    There is a lion in the streets!”
14  As a door turns on its hinges,
    so does a sluggard on his bed.
15  The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
    it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth.
16  The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
    than seven men who can answer sensibly.
17  Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own
    is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.
18  Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death
19  is the man who deceives his neighbor
    and says, “I am only joking!”
20  For lack of wood the fire goes out,
    and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.
21  As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
    so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.
22  The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
    they go down into the inner parts of the body.
23  Like the glaze 2 26:23 By revocalization; Hebrew silver of dross covering an earthen vessel
    are fervent lips with an evil heart.
24  Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips
    and harbors deceit in his heart;
25  when he speaks graciously, believe him not,
    for there are seven abominations in his heart;
26  though his hatred be covered with deception,
    his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27  Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
    and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.
28  A lying tongue hates its victims,
    and a flattering mouth works ruin.

Footnotes

[1] 26:10 Or hires a fool or passersby
[2] 26:23 By revocalization; Hebrew silver of dross

Dive Deeper | Proverbs 26

People often say we should learn from our mistakes. Great advice, but I am not always a quick learner. Many times, I have repeated a behavior or a sin and for some reason assume the result will be different. How foolish! One example from my childhood was that I had a bad habit of talking back to my parents. I always wanted to get my way and to have the last word. It always ended the same way with a consequence of some sort. You would think I would have learned my lesson and stopped being disrespectful, but it took a few years!

When I started teaching, the very first week of school, I called my parents and asked for forgiveness for my stubbornness all those years and for not learning from their wisdom. I finally learned my lesson, but it was a long time after my parents said "stop."

As a school counselor, I work with a lot of children who make foolish choices, gossip, tell secrets, and hurt others so that they can get ahead or look better. Many times, I say to them (or want to say to them), "Please stop doing that!" Their negative actions hurt them and others. But aren't we the same at times? We are fools when we gossip and expect it not to hurt anyone. (Proverbs 26:20-22) We are fools when we try to deceive ourselves or others. We are fools when we think we can hide. (Proverbs 26:24, 26) 

How can we stop this behavior? 

The Lord is always with us and for us, and we can't hide from Him. Just like children, we don't always learn quickly. It's like the dog returning to its vomit. We repeat the same action, expecting or hoping for a different result. This may be a sin, an addiction, a person, or anything. But the Lord desires for us to turn from these foolish behaviors and trust in Him. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Discussion Questions

1. Do you need to make a commitment to God and put your trust in Him? If you have never done this, please take this time to pray and ask Him to help you and guide you. Ask Him to forgive your sins. He will!  

2. What foolish habit or behavior do you need to stop? Who can you ask to help keep you accountable? 

3.  Has your foolishness hurt another person? Do you need to ask his or her forgiveness?

4.  Do you have a habit or hurt that is taking over your life and making you feel alone? If so, would you consider visiting Celebrate Recovery, a Christ-centered recovery ministry at Watermark? It is a safe place to build your trust in the Lord and to work on stopping harmful behaviors.