Today’s scripture: Proverbs 12:1-9 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Ben Lamb):
Most of today’s reading addresses two topics. Paraphrased, these might be called Positive Results vs. Negative Results. Since I like to condense material into a simplified chart whenever possible, I did so with a few of the verses:
| Positive | Negative |
| Knowledge | Stupid |
| Favor from Lord | Condemned |
| Just (Honest and Reliable) | Treacherous |
| Delivered from ambush | Ambushed |
| Remain standing | Overthrown |
| Commended | Despised |
It appears the score for tallying up this scenario would be: Positive- 6 points; Negative- 0 points. But why, darn it? Sometimes, doing the best possible thing can be so difficult:
- V1: I don’t like to be disciplined. I may have to change my actions, even some minor actions, if they aren’t really in keeping with what God wants me to do.
- V2: My Christian desire is to do good, but sometimes my frail human desires sort of overshadow the Christian ones. Hey, even Paul dealt with this matter (Romans 7:19).
- V5: It appears I’ll need to work more on what I think inside my head. The thoughts may not all be sheer evil, but plenty of them fall outside the realm of being truly just.
- V6: I certainly appreciate words from others which help keep me from various kinds of “ambush”, in the sense of keeping me from following an erring desire and its consequences.
- V7: Well, it’s a no-brainer about this one. Of course, I want to remain [spiritually] intact. Still, though, it’s another no-brainer that being upright is something I’ll have to continue working on during my entire life.
- V8: This seems generally non-controversial. Yet, sometimes I ask myself after the fact, “What in the world was I thinking back then?!”
Thought for the day: Looking to the future can be an impetus for convincing myself to do what I know I need to do in the first place.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.