“Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way will fall into his own pit, but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance.” Proverbs 28:10
Devotional Thought For The Day
We often lament the success that wicked and unbelieving people have in luring, influencing, and leading Christians into abysmal behavior and erroneous thinking. There is abundantly more of this dynamic and reality than we think, even within our own “believing” and “behaving.” We are often naively vulnerable to such temptations because we put the best construction on everything, thinking and hoping the best out of others. At times we are vulnerable because we are too busy or too lazy to take the time to thoroughly investigate a matter. In some cases, the unbelieving corruptors “know not what they do.” In other instances, the unbelieving person knows exactly what he/she is doing and anticipates with joy the evil they believe they will bring about. However, the LORD has decreed that such wicked people will in fact fall into the same destruction that they planned for others. Though the final outcome often seems delayed – because of God’s patience and long-suffering mercy – those who refuse to repent will ultimately pay the price for their treachery.
We sorrow when we observe Christians falling into an evil way, especially when there is seemingly no repentance, and we fear greatly for the brother or sister. We pray God to restore such a person, pleading for their spiritual safety and restoration. We should be greatly compassionate and understanding when the brother or sister who has “fallen” is returned to genuine repentance, and must assure them of God’s forgiveness, grace, mercy, kindness, and love toward them. The stronger the Christian the more deeply and painfully one experiences such falls, and the shame can linger on and on. So those who have been deceived and misled must be lifted up and strengthened, for the evil one stands nearby hoping to lead us into even greater temptations – to doubt, despair, and greater misbelief. Sadly, all too often Christians are extraordinarily superficial and hypocritical, and heap even more shame and condemnation on one who has been misled, and in so doing they are partnering up in doing the devil’s bidding. When we do this, the warning of this proverb then hovers over us. Lord, have mercy!
On the other hand, those who are “blameless,” those who have repented of their sins and received God’s cleansing forgiveness and mercy through faith, are promised “a goodly inheritance.” This is quite a pregnant assertion – think of all that God has promised to those who believe in Him and love Him, eternal life in the joy of heaven, His constant presence, protection, and blessing, His guidance and wisdom, and complete and constant forgiveness and mercy. Included among the “blameless” are those who have been misled into an evil way but have repented, confessed to God, and received His gracious forgiveness. The only “blameless” people are those declared to be such by God, through faith and by His grace. The “fallen” who have returned to God in repentance must be assured of God’s continuing favor, love, and blessing – and the goodly inheritance He has promised to them in heaven. Those who berate, demean, or even diminish the repentant are denying God’s love and His Word – and are in fact attempting to “mislead” others in an evil way. Lord, have mercy!
Simplistic, superficial, and neophyte Christians may be confused about how to respond and relate to those who have suffered falls into evil, but who in fact have repented, thinking that continued condemnation is appropriate and godly – they know not what they do. However, mature and seasoned Christians will understand all of these things, and will know how to minister to the repentant fallen and how to provide a godly and scripturally faithful example for others to follow. God’s grace, mercy, and love are at the center of our existence – and no unbelief or distortion on the part of unbelievers or misguided Christians will effect a change in God’s nature and character. Nor will “faith” that one is beyond God’s reach keep His judgment from coming to pass. So let us take care for temptations abound all around us. And let us especially beware of the temptation to deny God’s grace, mercy, and love, and thus mislead those who have already been victimized by evil. In this way we can also look forward to the “goodly inheritance” that God has provided for us by His grace, in Christ Jesus.
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, help us to see that falls into an evil way are not of greatest significance and importance, but rather that Your mercy, love, forgiveness, and salvation is the highest and prevailing reality. In this way keep us humbly in repentance, and firm in our faith and trust in Your gracious love and clemency, blameless before You in love. Preserve us from all ignorance and malice, by which we would lead others into evil, and especially preserve us from all temptations to despair of Your wondrous love and mercy. Amen.