Dave's Diary

Prayer

Holy Lord, open Your Word to me today and teach me to be holy as You are holy. Amen.

Reading

Read Proverbs 25 slowly and prayerfully. Notice which verse particularly jumps out at you. Re-read that verse a few times, slowly. Write it down in your journal. Try to memorise it so that you can reflect on it without having to read from the page.

Prayerful Reflection

Now take that Proverb and think about your life at the moment. Is there a situation in your life to which that Proverb applies. Ask the Lord how this verse from His Word is telling you to live out His wisdom in that situation. Make notes in your journal.

A Devotional Thought

Proverbs 25: 
²⁶ Like a muddied spring or a polluted well
    are the righteous who give way to the wicked. (NIVUK)

Imagine the disappointment, despair and disillusionment of a hot, weary traveler in the ancient wilderness of Judea coming across a well or a spring after a long, hot day, only to find that there was a dead animal in the water. All their hope of refreshment, restoration and life, dashed to the ground. All of that outward beauty and promise, but no life-giving value.

The proverb suggests that a person who has been living a righteous life but then “gives way” before the wicked is like this polluted well. It seems to me that there are a few ways this could happen to us. This would be true of us if despite deeply and genuinely desiring to be righteous and pleasing to God, we do not have the courage to resist evil when we see it, and so we just “go with the flow” and let it happen. In that moment we have “given way” or “yielded” to evil. It would also be true of us if we should allow ourselves to be led into compromising our principles or morals, by the influence of wickedness all around us. We would be foolish not to admit how easily this can happen to the best of us.

To remain pleasing to God (i.e. to remain an unmuddied spring or an unpolluted well), there will be times we have to stand up to the influences of wickedness in our world courageously, resist evil, reject temptation, and speak out for truth and goodness no matter the consequences. God will always strengthen us for this resistance, but we will have to make the necessary choices for ourselves.

Prayer

Lord, when I am weak, then You are strong. Help me to stand firmly and uncompromisingly for righteousness and godliness in the face of temptation and wickedness in the world! Amen.