May 10, 2024

Passage Read: Proverbs 6-9
Meditation Verses: 7:25-27

Thought

Nobody believes this, because they don't see the immediate consequences. They don't consider the consequences to be so severe. In fact, the consequences are the same for him who marries and for him who does not marry. People see little advantage to lifelong commitment over a continual trading of partners. They see freedom where there is actually death. They see pleasure where there is actually suffering. They see only their own interests being satisfied; they cannot see how joy can come from dying to self and living as a slave to righteousness. Because a slave to righteousness must deny himself many desires, and delay the gratification of many wants. Eternity is far off, if it is real at all. Give me my due now.

Application

So many scriptural warnings fall on deaf ears because men do not suffer eternal consequences right away. Instead, they see how they can violate the command or instruction and still live. They may suffer inconvenience or difficulty, but that doesn't have to do with their own foolish choices, that's the world and everyone in it lined up against them. Because we do not see God's imposed consequences as consequences, so we cannot learn wisdom. We do not fear God, we do not consider His consequences as punishment, so we cannot learn wisdom. There is no hope apart from the grace of God working in the heart of a fool. May God have mercy on us all.