- The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets!” Proverbs 22:13 – Scripture, and especially Proverbs, does not speak highly of laziness. We’ve seen repeatedly scripture speak about the foolishness of laziness and how it will bring about the death of those who remain in it. Here we see the lazy man making excuses to justify his lack of action. “There’s a lion out there and I would die if I stepped out those doors!” This line was to show just how desperate the sluggard was to remain doing nothing, for there was no lion. It would be like us saying today, “I can’t go to work today, I may get run over by a train while one my way there!” Yes…it is possible that may happen, but extremely unlikely and not a valid excuse to remain home and do nothing. As I was studying though this passage, I couldn’t help but connect this with our Gospel efforts. How often do we say we can’t share because there’s a “lion” outside? “They’ll make fun of me if I share,” “I won’t be accepted there anymore,” “I don’t know enough scripture to share.” While it can be scary and it can be overwhelming to share the Gospel, when God gives us a command, we must understand excuses like this aren’t going to cut it. There very well may be a lion outside, but God’s made it clear He can handle a roaring lion. Refuse the temptation of laziness when it comes to sharing the Gospel. For when we stay indoors letting the “lions” keep us from sharing the good news, know there are many lost outside being consumed by the real enemy, never knowing there was a Savior there to save them. Stand out, step outside, and begin the work you’ve been called to do, and all the while trust Jesus can handle the lions. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2930
- Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out, and quarreling and abuse will cease. Proverbs 22:10 – Sometimes a disconnect from certain people will be the only way you can begin finding the peace you’ve been after. A scoffer is a disagreeable, unpleasant person; a type of person I would guess all of us have encountered once or twice. They are the ones that cause you the come home after work still worked up over things they said or did. They are the ones in your family that can’t make it through a holiday without causing a fuss. This passage says we are to drive them out so the damage they cause will leave to. In some cases like if this person was just a friend we could literally disconnect from them, but we can’t just not interact with our boss or not speak to our spouse so how can we “drive out the scoffer” with someone that is going to stay in our life? My advice is to drive them out of your worries by handing them over to God in prayer. That sounds churchy I know, but while you can’t drive them out of your life you can drive out the negative mindset surrounding them by leaning on God concerning them and handing them over to Him. Allow yourself you reach out to God with every encounter you have with these individuals to help you handle them. It’s amazing what can happen in a relationship with someone when God is invited into it. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 693
- Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare. Proverbs 22:24-25 – You become like who spend time with. Here the example given is an angry man. If you spend all your time with those who let anger run unchecked in their life that will most likely begin to be a way you behave as well. This is true of so many things as well. Pride, hate, gossiping, laziness, apathy. Yet it can also work for our good. You can spend time with people who exude joy and compassion and that will have an effect on you as well. And the best example is the more time you spend with Jesus the more like Him you will become. So who right now are you around the most? If you became exactly like them in the way they live, act, and speak, are you good with that? Is that result closer to what God wants for you or further away? Be willing to make the changes on who you exist with not only for yourself but for God and the precious people in your life that look up to you. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1704
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