7-30-22 Today in the Word

Speaking or Silence? Saturday, July 30 | Proverbs 26 On the Go? Listen to Today's Devotional If you look at Proverbs 26, verses 4 and 5, you will notice that they seem to say exactly the opposite thing! These two verses are favorites of those who are eager to disbelieve the Bible. The problem with the argument, of course, is that the reader is failing to understand the purpose of Proverbs. In the book of Proverbs, readers are presented with two contrasting statements—the way of wisdom and the way of folly. The primary purpose of Proverbs is to make its readers wise. We learn that wisdom is more than just knowing the right thing to do. It is doing the right thing at the right time. Today’s proverb is a good example. In some contexts, such as on social media or with that one uncle at Thanksgiving, you should “not answer a fool according to his folly” because getting in a verbal argument will do no good. The fool will remain entrenched in folly no matter what you say or do. Answering that person is a waste of your emotional energy. However, there are also times when you should “answer a fool according to his folly” because the person needs to learn from you. In this case, the time and energy spent correcting this fool will be well spent. The author of Proverbs doesn’t give us a checklist to know when we should or shouldn’t answer the fool. Instead, Proverbs gives us principles to live by, and it’s up to us to decide— through the guidance of the Holy Spirit—when to speak and when to be silent. That is precisely why we must study the Scriptures diligently and depend fully on Christ. >> How do you decide when to speak and when to listen? If you have a difficult conversation coming up, pray about it beforehand and ask the Holy Spirit to give you the courage to speak truth when necessary and the grace to be silent when needed. Pray with Us Father, again we ask You for courage to speak when it is right to speak up, and the grace to be silent when silence is needed. Moreover, give us sensitivity to know which course of action is prudent.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

9-17-23 Not in a Billion Years

Not In A Million Billion Years :: By Dave Hubley Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles (There is a special message at the end of this article for those who might happen to read this and do not have Jesus in their life and are looking for peace and a way to better understand the present-day insanity and confusion.) Several years ago, I had a conversation with a guy in a waiting room while getting an oil change (in the car, not me). I don’t recall exactly how the conversation originated or how it progressed, but I have never forgotten it. As I recall, it had something to do with evolution and an article that was contained in a “waiting room magazine” that was available there. He made the observation that God was “something that man had made up.” I can’t recall the exact reason he used to justify his opinion, but it had something to do with the usual reasons people give: Weak-willed people needing a crutch, and blah, blah, blah. I engaged him in a “witness,
Read more

9-16-23 Santa Staleness

Santa Staleness :: By Edwin Tan Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles My one and only trip to Israel had more than a profound effect on my present-day psyche. It might have been three decades ago, but there is more than a lingering aftertaste. It happened smack in the last fortnight of the year. Surprisingly absent were the familiar sights and sounds of the Christmas most people are accustomed to. Hardly any Christmas decorations in downtown Tel Aviv, if not any of the shopping thoroughfares across the Holy Land. Hanukah was a breath of fresh air – not anything resembling a Christmas carol most people grew up with did surface. The Christmas Eve service in a small Protestant church not far away from Jerusalem’s Old City was awesome; songs that truly celebrated the virgin birth of our Lord, which though seemingly unheard of, were a welcome inspiration to many a soul. There was even one sung in Arabic! So it began, my overt disdain for the secular Christmas t
Read more

9-15-23 Miracles 2

Miracles 2 :: By Jim Towers Published on: December 21, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles This story is a continuation of the exciting things God continues doing in my life. I was supposed to have died a while back, and sometimes I feel as though I may do so soon. But since I’m ready to meet my maker, I have no fear of death. In fact, my evangelistic zeal has only increased, especially as I see the fast approaching of the “Tribulation period” mentioned in the book of Revelation. Insofar as my acting career is concerned, I just finished filming a soliloquy featuring Melchior, one of the three Magi who followed the star to Christ lying in the manger, and am preparing to portray a Jewish Priest on stage. Like I said, God is working overtime in my life, and I will be appearing on stage singing Broadway show tunes sometime in March, so I have a lot of rehearsing to do. In the meantime, I will be signing Christmas carols acapella at a park here in Naples. Since it is a spontaneous th
Read more