Proverbs for October 28
Prov 28:1 (KJV) Am I bold? Whether there is “danger” or I am simply faced with taking a stand for Christ, am I truly bold? Or, do I run simply because I think there might be something to fear. Think about how we as Americans deal with sharing the Gospel. Are we bold, or are we fearful? If we allow our fears to dissuade us from sharing, what category do we fall into, according to this verse?
Prov 28:4 (KJV) The wicked are abundant on this earth, and yet we as Christians so rarely find ourselves in contention with them. We must wake up and realize that our lack of contention makes us one of them! This does not mean that we go pick fights, but our very lives should stand out enough to aggravate those who are not of Christ.
Prov 28:5 (KJV) Many of us question God and His ways. Could it be because we don't truly seek Him?
Prov 28:7 (KJV) Are we shaming our Father?
Prov 28:9 (KJV) We cannot pick and choose what we are going to hear from the Lord. There are many things we may not like, but if we close our ears and hearts to His Word, our prayers aren't just not heard, they are an abomination. Wemustlisten to His Word in its entirety!
Prov 28:10 (KJV) We really think we're safe on this one. How many times do we look at this verse, or verses like it, and say, “Why, we don't everleadany righteous person to do evil! I don't lead anyone – they make their own decisions!” But, when we stop to look at what this verse truly says, we see that “cause” and “lead” are two very different concepts. If we are not intentionally leading the righteous into righteous behavior, we are causing them to go astray, even if simply by default. Think of a few specifics:
Do we encourage – or even simply allow- our children to honor anything other than God?
Do we allow friends to drift away from the Lord? To drift away from fellowship with fellow believers?
Do we participate in any manner in gossip? By extension, even if we do not participate in gossip, do we take action to stop it, or do we walk away so as to keep ourselves pure while allowing others to be responsible for themselves?
Do we sympathize with someone who makes excuses about their unbiblical decisions rather than confronting their wrong-doing? After all, we don't want to meddle in anyone else's business or hurt anyone's feelings, right?
By not acting and boldly leading our fellow believers in the right direction, we are essentially equipping them. We are causing them to turn to evil.
Prov 28:13 (KJV) Oh, how many sins we cover up, convinced they are no big deal! Any blemish is a big deal when placed against the purity of God – the purity He demands of us!
Prov 28:14 (KJV) Is there ever a day when we are not fearing the Lord? We must not be hardened for even a day!
Prov 28:17 (KJV) This is a strong picture. When we see people tormented by guilt over their actions, we want to comfort them. We want to help them feel better while they are being restored. The problem is that they are not always headed toward restoration. They frequently want to feel better without going through the effort and brokenness required for restoration. So, we equip their journey to “feel good” without those things that are required for restoration. In doing so, we could very well be actually thwarting their restoration rather than helping it.
Prov 28:21 (KJV) The people-pleaser in me struggles with this verse. I want to say that I wouldn't do just anything to fill my own needs. But, if I desire to please people, how far will I really go? I must be concerned only with pleasing my Lord and Savior. Only.
Prov 28:24 (KJV) What things do we brush off as “no big deal”?
Prov 28:26 (KJV) We cannot have wisdom if we believe that we are the only sources of said wisdom. We have to be open to the wisdom of others.
Prov 28:27 (KJV) Oh, how may hands need to be open!
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