“When the wicked thrive, rebellion increases; but the righteous will see their downfall.
Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will bring delight to your soul.
Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law.
A servant cannot be corrected by words alone; though he understands, he will not respond.
Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
A servant pampered from his youth will bring grief in the end.
An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression.
A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.
A partner to a thief hates his own soul; he receives the oath, but does not testify.
The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.
Many seek the ruler’s favor, but a man receives justice from the LORD.
An unjust man is detestable to the righteous, and one whose way is upright is detestable to the wicked.”
“When the wicked thrive, rebellion increases; but the righteous will see their downfall… Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law… An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression…A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor… An unjust man is detestable to the righteous, and one whose way is upright is detestable to the wicked.”
Do you know your mission in life and do you have a vision for it? We work in a hospital whose mission and vision statements say the following: Our Mission: To make Christ known through the delivery of quality health services. Our Vision: Creating healthy communities for a more productive life. Personally, my husband and I are Jesus followers. Matthew 20:28 says that “The Son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Our purpose is to serve those around us, making Christ known to them in the process. For many of our poor patients, their mission and vision are simple: survival!
One of our friends has a sign that reads “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’re likely to wind up somewhere else.” The verses I have lumped together describe those without a vision or a mission, apart from wickedness and rebellion. God hates rebellion. Satan and one third of the angels fell from heaven to earth when they rebelled, and Satan has been inflaming passions ever since. One of Satan’s most effective tools is anger. Someone who loses their temper readily opens themselves up to all kinds of manipulation and other problems. Get such an individual angry at someone or something and a savvy schemer may steer that individual in any direction by carefully feeding the anger.
Appealing to someone’s pride is another sure-fire way of manipulation, provided that person is proud and not humble. Appeal to the pride of a humble person, and they will simply laugh at you, for they are already laughing at themselves. A proud angry person has little or no sense of humor.
“Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will bring delight to your soul.” Few things are more soothing than the attentions of a well-behaved adult son or daughter. One of my stepsisters, a gifted nurse, succeeded in nursing my beloved stepmother through the last several months of her life in her home. Without Lori’s attentions, my stepmom would have languished all those months in a nursing home and would not have received such dedicated care.
“A servant cannot be corrected by words alone; though he understands, he will not respond.” Here the cultural gap might be opening up at our feet. It’s quite likely that there were large numbers of servants willing to receive verbal correction; however, there might have been a few who required a beating. The difference probably stemmed from the circumstances of servanthood; some poor families would arrange for children to become servants in a wealthy household so that someone else would feed and clothe them. Other servants might have started out as prisoners of war. Many servants accepted their fates and did well. Nathan the leper received healing because an Israelite slave girl told him of a prophet in Israel.
”A partner to a thief hates his own soul; he receives the oath, but does not testify.” You reap what you sow. Ally yourself with thieves and you too will receive the same punishment. An ally of thieves cannot be trusted, no matter what kind of oaths he swears.
“The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.” This verse is one of those God has used repeatedly in my life. When you do the right thing and trust in God, God will justify you and protect you, although you may go through severe trials before it’s over. In the 1950’s Walt Disney produced a series of TV programs about Davy Crockett, a dashing figure on the American frontier. Crockett is quoted as having said, “Be sure you’re right, and then go ahead.” Whether or not Crockett actually said this is not the point. I internalized that phrase as a youngster and have never forgotten it. You can either listen to people or to God. Listen to people and you will wind up confused. Listen to God and be at peace. But beware! Listening to God can result in a great deal of suffering before things are over. On the other hand, as long as you have God’s peace in your heart, you can survive. Listening to people only exposes you to conflicting opinions that will tear you apart emotionally and mentally.
APPLICATION: Once more, reading this part of Proverbs feels like sitting by a sage grandparent who is giving life-saving advice. Many of us may never have enjoyed such an experience. Perhaps you didn’t know your grandparents or you grew up at a distance. Perhaps your grandparents weren’t very wise; it happens. No matter. God is giving us His Word for our lives. And remember that it’s still true. If you don’t know where you’re going, you’re likely to wind up somewhere else!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us feel lost without a vision or a mission. Please guide us and show us Your mission and vision for our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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