Pro 26:1 Like snow in summer and like rain in harvest, So honor is not fitting for a fool.
Pro 26:2 Like a sparrow in {its} flitting, like a swallow in {its} flying, So a curse without cause does not alight.
Pro 26:3 A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, And a rod for the back of fools.
Pro 26:4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Or you will also be like him. Pro 26:5 Answer a fool as his folly {deserves,} that he not be wise in his own eyes.
This morning’s proverb (chapter 26) reminds me of this title above: an honor, a curse, a whip, and an answer.
Honor is rarely an accident. It doesn’t just happen to a person. It represents the effects of actions, decisions and efforts on the part of a person toward a purpose and goal greater than themselves.
In the same way is a curse: it TOO represents the effects of actions, decisions and efforts on the part of a person toward a purpose, but in contrast with a promise, the greater purpose is lacking.
The whip & bridle in verse three point to the assiduous nature of our lifestyle: whenever are we not moving forward fast enough, life has a way of producing a ‘whip’ to remind us to keep moving ahead; the bridle for the donkey reflects upon the importance of the words of our mouth; and the rod for the fool. The current market is proving there were a great number of fools in the stock market. We must be attentive to the areas and places of our lives that are taking a beating: this is the rod of correction. Making mistakes are not always sin, they are part of life and learning; not learning from them is where we sin against ourselves, each other and God.
The last area is the answers that we are receiving from life: God leads us forward with questions. Jesus asked Peter, “Who do you say I am?” God to Moses, “What’s in your hand?” Samuel to Saul, “What is the bleating of sheep I hear in my ear?”
Happy Thanksgiving!
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