Passage Read: Proverbs 2-5
Meditation Verses: 5:21-23
Thought
We give too much credit to sin and Satan and the world and even God. God doesn't have to do us harm, we bring it on ourselves! Satan and sin and the world don't have to haunt us and pester us and trick us and attack us, we do just fine on our own! We choose to do evil or give in to our own wrong desires, and we bring consequences on ourselves. The problem with blaming anything and anyone else is we can never take responsibility for our own choices and actions and repent! We sin, we are held by the cords of our own sins. We ignore godly instruction, we carry on in our own folly! We bring these troubles on ourselves, and we can change the course of our lives if we will but listen to God's instruction, leave off our foolish wisdom and ways, and turn and by obedience to God, live righteous lives.
Application
The solution is right here: If we die for lack of instruction, we can live by receiving the instruction of godly men and God's Word itself! If we go astray in the greatness of our folly, then we need to stop trusting in what we think is wise and start trusting in God's wisdom! It is not merely hearing godly instruction that changes my ways, but living by it, disciplining myself to do what God tells all men to do instead of arguing with it, being afraid of missing out on the good things of earth and insisting on doing things my way to get what I want. I'm the one who brings trouble on myself by not listening to and doing what God instructs. I'm my own worst enemy. But by repentance, humility, submission to God and discipline, I can change the course of my life. Jesus Christ died and rose again to set me free from sin so I could live for Him, and His Spirit lives in me to remind me and empower me to choose the right and reject the wrong. He will not be pleased with me if I continue to make excuses and blame everything and everyone else instead of submitting myself to His Word, His Spirit and His will.f