Friday, December 05, 2014
TEXT: PROVERBS 26:1-19
Key Verse: “As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools” (Proverbs 26:9).
One of the folklores of a prominent culture group along the west coast of Africa relates to the wisdom contained in one of their proverbs that while a finger points towards another person, the other four fingers (invariably) point to the accuser. This means that, sometimes, the accuser is more guilty than the person being accused.
In the passage for our devotion today, we see the deep wisdom dripping from the parables of king Solomon. The meaning of verse 9 is that normally, the first prick of a thorn alerts the victim and he removes the thorn before it inflicts a deadly injury. A drunk person however, may not feel the thorn, and so it works its way into his flesh. Similarly, a fool may not feel the sting of a parable, or a sermon or precept, because he does not see where it touches his life. Instead of taking the point to heart, a fool will “parry” it to another person - a spouse, a friend or whoever he is rebelling against. So, the next time we find ourselves saying, “so-and-so should really pay attention to that,” we should stop and ask ourselves “is there a message in it for me?”
Many believers have become so familiar with the word of God that whenever they hear a message from God, it becomes very ordinary. This is dangerous and the consequence of this “spiritual insensitivity” is spiritual death. Backsliders are therefore encouraged today to trace the cause of their backsliding and return to God. You have the opportunity to accept the Lord Jesus today as your personal Lord and Saviour if you’ve not done so; and if you have, ensure that you maintain a victorious Christian living through a closer walk with the Saviour.
Thought for the day: “The warning bell tolls but for us.”
Higher Everyday for Youths - Link: http://highereveryday.dclmhq.org/
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