Thursday: Protect Yourself
After having warned us against the particular evils that threaten three domains of life — our family, our social contacts, and our work — Proverbs give us a portrayal of the wicked. It is a satire full of irony and sharp psychological observation. The two poems (Prov. 6:12–15, Prov 6:16–19) are parallel and, with the same poetic rhythm of seven, cover corresponding motifs. The wicked person’s inside is described as linked to what is thought in the heart; at the same time it all becomes manifested in what is done on the outside.
Image © Jeff Preston from GoodSalt.com
Read Proverbs 6:14, Prov. 6:18 and Matthew 15:19. What important point is being made here?
If you indulge in vain imaginations, permitting your mind to dwell upon impure subjects, you are, in a degree, as guilty before God as if your thoughts were carried into action.
— Ellen G. White, The Adventist Home, p. 334.
What warnings are given in Proverbs 6:12–19?
The imagery is ironic. The walking wicked follows the lazy sluggard. The two attitudes seem to be different, and yet they carry the same lesson. Both stay within themselves. Neither one is interested in the instruction coming from outside of themselves. They both follow their own wisdom and inclinations. The sluggards are sleeping, and neither their ears nor their feet function; the wicked have only their feet and their mouths working, not their ears. The result is the same: they will both go to destruction.
Meanwhile, evil has two effects: it harms not only persons sinned against, but sinners as well. The liars will finally believe their own lies. It is also noteworthy that the ultimate result of wickedness is discord and conflict, which can affect society as well. Indeed, the effects of sin rarely, if ever, remain confined to sinners. Others are impacted, and usually only for the worse.
How have the sins of others affected your life? Greatly, no doubt. What lessons can you learn from this about how careful you need to be so that your actions don’t hurt others?
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Per EGW Satan convinced some of the angels that they didn't need instruction from the LORD, they could figure out by themselves the best way to live. At the tree he did the same to Eve - all the trees were good to look at and to eat (Gen 2:9, 3:6) but this one could make one wise (knowing good + evil) ie one would know by themselves what was the best way to live. These days people say we don't need specfic instruction from the Word about what is the best way to live.
However we are learning from Proverbs what happens when people follow their own hearts, they go from lazy to wicked to destruction.
We learn from Proverbs that we need instruction on the best way to live,
We also learn that a relationship with the LORD and His instruction is the only way to true wisdom.
Prov 6:14 Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.
We are called to guard against "ourselves". Wat we are capable of doing outside of Christ is all filthy and evil. Someone once said, but for the grace of Christ wen we are connected to Him by His word and prayer, we all are potential criminals. We need a daily dose of the word and prayer.
As Prov 6:14 shows wickedness does not end only with one who commits it. It affects those around - seeds of discord to say the least. Our actions affect those around us
By reading Gods word we know what is right living but to demonstrate it in our lives is only achieved through Jesus Christ and the power of the holy spirit.
And even then, our performance never equals Jesus who is our PATTERN, but then HE accepts our best efforts and covers us with HIS ROBE of HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS and allows us to try again to try to equal HIS PATTERN and we then go on from FAITH to FAITH for a work that will take us our whole LIFETIME.
we can't protect our selves unless we will submit our selves to God..only God can give us the protection.
Amen! Lord prepare the hearts of your children. Let us do your will and witness without hesitation to our brethren.
If we surrender ourselves to the leading and the instruction of God, we spend less time in prayers and our society will be a better place.
Please explain in detail wht is a proud look. Blessings
Proud look - is someone who thinks he is better than everyone and looks down at other people like they are rubbish.
Does the cleansing of the temple by Jesus in Mat 21:12 have anything to do with this lesson (ref. 1 Cor 6:19)?
Who changed Joshua's clothes in Zech 3 and is there significance in the ceremony of the consecration of Aaron and his sons in Lev 8 concerning this lesson?
"If you indulge in vain imaginations, permitting your mind to dwell upon impure subjects . ."
- EGW
Ask God to change the thoughts that are not in His blessing. Nip them in the bud by purposely changing to another thought. Run to His Word for bible verses that set the thought(s) to agreement to His.
Sometimes we have to force ourselves b/c some thoughts, esp. when indulged in the past, have a formed a rut in our mental landscape. Similar to how a well traveled road forms ruts where the wheels of cars consistently run. To get out of those ruts you have to get out and push or have the car towed elsewhere. But once out, one can make a new path and God is willing to help. However, one has to want to get out and work toward the new way of thinking.
I heard that there literal physical neuron pathways in our brain created by our thoughts and we need to create new pathways by repetition, that is why memorising texts is so important.
I've heard that (neuro tracks in brain) too from Lysa Terkeurst, Unglued. (I only have the audiobook so I can not look at her bibliography.) She also heads the Proverbs 31 Ministry if you'd like to research further. Joyce Meyers also speaks to this (changing thoughts) too.
Thank you for that reference, Dorothy. I checked Amazon.com and found that the Kindle book, Unglued, by Lysa Terkeurst, includes both the text and audio version.
From the free introduction available on Amazon.com, I gather that the title of the book comes from the state of coming emotionally "unglued" under stress, as the author tells her own story of coming "unglued" over missing bathroom towels.
Later in the introduction, she shares,
And that reminds me that God designed that we learn from each other. That's one of the reasons He wants us to be in relationship with others, including family and church relationships. We can learn from each other face to face, we can learn from each other through our comments right here, and we can learn from each other even through books and not just through the greatest Book of all. May God help us listen as He seeks to speak to us through His Word and in various other ways.
By seeking the Kingdom of Heaven first, everything will follow suit. Thus God protection will automatically be granted.
As we are thinking of this day's topic, am much concerned with these verses;
"There's nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man....and he said, that which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders." (Mark 7:15,20,21)
This tells us that; our character i.e. Both good or evil is made from the surroundings.