Fountains of wisdom- A Study in Proverbs (Part 31)
Proverbs 17: 19 (KJV) He loveth transgression that loveth strife: and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction.
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What fools we are when these self exalting hearts seek to climb the corporate ladder by stepping on the innocent. There is no boundary to the depth of evil that we are capable of just to justify our own selfish needs to feel more important or to gain praise.
Whoever heads down that path to exalt oneself destroys all those who are surrounding them and at some point, unless they repent will be destroyed themselves.
The wound runs very deep and the searing pain at times seems unbearable as I look back to that day when all I knew was about to change. That morning my
walk had a special bounce and I was singing God’s praise. I received a call into the office for a meeting. All the way there I was singing and thought that God had answered my prayer –perhaps a miracle, maybe a bonus or just something good was about to happen. Then suddenly from the midst came serious accusations. “Me?” “Investigated for months?” “No, one had spoken to me or asked me?” These people that I had considered more than co-workers, I had counted them as family—I had loved them, trusted them, and had served them with the heart of a servant. They had judged me and condemned me without asking a question. The pain worsened when I realized that I was the last to know and even the staff under me in one of the offices was whispering. All of this started from one person, one fool seeking power and prestige. Everything was ultimately cleared and I dearly love my bosses there: yet, they had been swayed for a time by one person hell-bent on exalting themselves. Yet, as Solomon put it, “Proverbs 17:4 (NIV) 12 Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool bent on folly.” I would say Amen to that for I met the fool bent on folly and I would have rather run into the bear.
That day my world as I knew it went crashing down around me. Over the next few months, I left my house, my grandchildren, one of my sons, my friends, my cats, and all that was familiar to move across country to be near my older son—to start all over again at age 59 and to redefine who I am once more and to seek refuge from the storm. Had I not already been redefined and refined by the years of abuse, by widowhood, by cancer, multiple surgeries and chronic illness? Somewhere in the midst of all this I seem to have lost something or perhaps the wounds are still in the process of healing: yet, there remains a brokenness of heart that only God can heal and is doing so one cell at a time. In the center of it all, this I know God has a plan for good and He is preparing me for that very thing. Oh, and by the way; perhaps, the greatest pain of all was the lesson I had to learn. You see as I looked deep within my own self-exalting heart and there I recognized that I had almost done the same to another person under me when I thought they threatened my position. I thank God that I recognized it, confronted it and went to that person to seek their forgiveness before I could cause such harm. I do know and have learned this: Proverbs 17 :(NIV) 4 A wicked person listens to deceitful lips; a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
13 Evil will never leave the house
of one who pays back evil for good.
I pray for the one who did these evils toward me and many others in her pathway toward self-exaltation. Her only hope is to humbly fall before Him as I had to in repentance so as to seek His wisdom, His Grace and His mercy. Proverbs17 (ERV) 15 The Lord hates these two things: punishing the innocent and letting the guilty go free. 16 Money is wasted on fools. They cannot buy wisdom when they have no sense.”
So, why would God have allowed all this pain? What have I learned from it?
1. That I might see the evil lurking in my own heart so that God might be able to dissect it from me. Surgery to remove a cancer is painful; but necessary. The same is true when God must remove a spiritual cancer from our heart.
2. Proverbs 17:(NIV) 27 “The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.” I am learning to not hold such quick and rash opinions or judgments. I need God’s guiding hand to be slapped across my face sometimes to keep my mouth shut. It is better to be silent and thought a fool than to open my mouth and prove it. Or Proverbs 17: 28 Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.
3. Very quickly I learned who my real friends are; because they love you even when everyone else casts their stones. In fact they still love you when you are wrong and they will tell you gently what you have done wrong while helping you to find the truth. Proverb 17: 17 A friend loves you all the time, but a brother was born to help in times of trouble.
4. Your children are your greatest asset apart from God. I am so blessed with wise children who have incredible spouses; all of whom have loved me unconditionally and I them.
5. Be very thankful if your parents taught you the gospel. Remember all the words of God your parents taught you and rejoice in the fact that they are your greatest prayer warriors.
6. Don’t be surprised when your children become your wisest counselors—praise God for that fact. My children are incredible ambassadors for God’s truth.
7. Always trust God’s plan—He does have a plan of love that will lead you ever closer to Him.
So, I arrived and thought all paths would be cleared with no obstacles—silly me. Like any frontier path it is clearing one tree at a time as God clears the way. I tend to want to run ahead sometimes or to see the finish line; but, then where would the adventure of the journey be? Instead of trying to run ahead of Him, I must slow down and just relax in His Providential will while praising Him for today’s blessings.
My Song for Today will be: The Lighthouse I do thank God for His ever present light to guide me.
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
Copyright © 2006 by World Bible Translation Center
New International Version (NIV)
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© 2014 Effie Darlene Barba
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