Proverbs 30: 32-33
“If you play the fool and exalt yourself, or if you plan evil, clap your hand over your mouth! For as churning cream produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife.”
It is almost 1:00 in the morning and I am following the instructions in 2 Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” Today, I had plans, after finishing my quiet time I set out to go and get bids on my 2014 350 ES Lexus, I did say they were my plans. But that was not what happened on Hwy 35, going about 55 miles an hour a car stopped in front of me and by the time I saw it and hit my brakes I also hit the car. I was taken to the hospital and checked out, and I’m very sore but alive.
My plans were not evil, but I had not talked with the Father about them, and once more I set out on my own to do my will. I say that only to share how blessed I am that no one in either car was hurt bad. I also know that my flesh longs to be exalted and I have often said as a salesperson I did more to be noticed and getting praise was almost as important as money. That is called flesh in the Scripture and it is not pleasing to our Father. When I see that I’m looking for the praise of men and not seeking the things of God, I run to Jesus and ask for His help. I have to do that often!
But that is not what got my attention in these verses, we the people of God act as if this place called earth is our home, and often it is people who go by the name Christian that are stirring up anger which produces strife. Is that what Jesus commands us to do?
So first things first, each of us who go by His name must “Examine ourselves, to see whether we are in the faith.” Are you, am I walking in the Spirit or allowing the flesh to have rule over us? What fruits are you producing, love, joy, and peace, or anger and strife? Are you studying the Scriptures to learn obedience? It’s easy to fool those at church for a while but God is not fooled, and you and I reap what we sow. The test is elementary, you are in Christ, or you are not, and you know the answer. For many years I was a poser but it all changed when I understood that my good or bad works were not what counted, and I bow my knee to Jesus and ask for His forgiveness and to come into my evil heart and take over.
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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