Proverbs 3:13-18

Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,
the man who gains understanding,
for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.
She is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.
Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are pleasant ways
and all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
those who lay hold of her will be blessed.

Drifting

One of the most striking evidences of sinful human nature lies in the universal propensity for downward drift. In other words, it takes thought, resolve, energy, and effort to bring about reform. In the grace of God, sometimes human beings display such virtues. But where such virtues are absent, the drift is invariably toward compromise, comfort, indiscipline, sliding disobedience, and decay that advances, sometimes at a crawl and sometimes at a gallop, across generations.

People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.--DA Carson

Seven deadly sins according to Mohandas Karamachand Gandhi:

• Wealth without Work
• Pleasure without Conscience
• Science without Humanity
• Knowledge without Character
• Politics without Principle
• Commerce without Morality
• Worship without Sacrifice

The Snare

In Luke 7 John the Baptist was imprisoned and sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus if he was the One or should they expect someone else. Jesus sent back the message of observable evidence - that he had healed the sick and lame, raised the dead, and preached the good news to the poor. The NIV Study Bible says that "Jesus did not want discouragement and doubt to ensnare John." I had never thought of doubt and discouragement as snares, but if you think about it, they are deadly ones. Doubt questions the goodness and power of God. Discouragement takes our courage away and keeps us from doing those bold things that bring glory to God and help to men. Don't let yourself be ensnared. God is who He says He is and God can do what He says He can do. Read the Scriptures and find words of faith.

Encouraging words

Acts 15:31-2: The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. Judas and Silas...said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.

We are all in need of encouragement. Most of our encouragement comes through words. Ask the Lord to give you words of encouragement for others.

The ill-timed truth we might have kept --
Who knows how sharp it pierced and stung?
The word we had not sense to say--
Who knows how grandly it had rung?
--Edward Sill (The Fool's Prayer)