Walk of Life, Day 09- April,2021- Thoughts from the Book of Proverbs. – Don’ts
DO NOT REPROVE A SCOFFER.
Proverbs 9:8 “Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.”
How true is this verse! We all go wrong in one way or the other. No one can lead a perfect and spotless life. When we go wrong, there will be some person who would tell us that we are doing wrong and will also show us the right way. However, not every person takes the advice. There are few who react negatively and hate the people who have given them the good advices.
Once there lived a family of four in which there were parents with a daughter and a son. Having been brought up in a very healthy atmosphere, being the children of well educated, working parents, there were a lot of expectations from the children. As they grew young, they children became addicted to latest trends in music and never spent a minute without their mobile. Mother was very much troubled seeing her children losing their interest in study, whereas wasting their interest and time in things that are of no use. She tried in every way to reprove them, the more she tried the worse she appeared to them. One fine day came where the mother decided to stop reproving them even though her heart bled with pain, she decided to remain quiet.
When we get attracted to anything, we get more possessive about it. We do not want to hear anyone say that it is not good. All we need is that freedom that lets us get deeply immersed in the work that we like. But, when that thing which like is not good, it is going to be dangerous for you.
There are many who belong to other families and have known the Lord Jesus Christ, their love for Christ overpowers their love for their family. At that time, even they are reproved by their family members, but they choose to abide by Christ.
As we have read about the mother and her two children, it is the same with our spiritual lives. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Word, takes the place of the mother and we take the place of the children. When we choose wrong path, it pains the Lord Jesus. So, He reproves us through His word. Sometimes through your quiet time and even through the messages delivered by the men of God. Sadly, when we are deeply immersed in wrong activities, there are three things that could happen.
Firstly, we become blind and deaf that we cannot hear what God is speaking with us through our daily portion.
Secondly, even when we happen to hear through a messenger of God, we develop a hatred towards that particular God servant and stop listening to him.
Thirdly, there is no need for someone to tell us that we are wrong. We ourselves know that we are wrong, but we still choose to stay wrong. We live in an illusion that we can change one fine day.
Examine yourself to which stage you belong to. Why was the mother sad when she saw her children going in the wrong way? Because the mother knows what her children are losing. She knows that they are spoiling their career and time. She knows that the time they are wasting now would never come back. When a worldly mother worries about the future of her children, which she herself is not certain about. How much more should our Lord Jesus worry when He sees His children going astray?
The Lord Jesus Christ knows what He has prepared for you in eternity. When He sees you wasting your time, it pains Him. Thus, He reproves you in many ways, so that, you might accept the reproof and turn back to Him, to walk in the right way. If you do so, your reward in eternity stays unaffected I feel.
Looking back in history we find King David and King Herod. When King David committed a sin, Nathan was sent to him to reprove him of his sin. On hearing the reproof from Nathan, David chose to repent. He remains as the man after God’s own heart in the history. Whereas, King Herod was also reproved by John because of the sin that he has committed. King Herod chose to put John in prison. He did not repent and had a pitiful death.
Genesis 6:3 serves as a warning to me personally whenever I go astray. It is the same verse which lead me to repentance and salvation. It says,” The spirit of the Lord will not strive forever with man.”
If you are neglecting the reproof that is coming from the Lord, remember there comes a day when the spirit of the Lord stops to strive. Then it becomes very difficult for you to realize that you doing wrong, and even if you realize, by then your remote goes into the hands of Satan and he keeps giving you wrong advices, to end your life. There is nothing to worry now, if you in such dreadful state, our God is gracious and merciful, He is a prayer away.
PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, I have overheard your reproof. I have been a scorner hating your people who tried to bring me closer to you. I have been lost completely. Kindly restore me, Father. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
