“Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.” Proverbs 26:27
Devotional Thought For The Day
It would be nice if this were always the case, that the evil and wicked plots and planning of our enemies would directly come back upon them. However, there are times when it appears that wicked people get their way – murders remain unsolved, some terrorists get away, and wicked rulers may stay in power at least for a time. It is the same in a smaller and milder way in our own lives – gossips retain use of their tongues, heretics continue to have respect, malicious neighbors still eat breakfast, and abrasive co-workers don’t get fired. The proverb indicates that there are times when those who perpetrate evil get exactly what they planned for others. In some circumstances, however, God is merciful even to the wicked and we have to wait for their due rewards to be imposed upon them. In the interim we should pray for them and try to win them back to repentance – for even though the unrepentant and incorrigible are destined for hell they are valuable; Christ also died for them.
The proverb is most valuable when we apply it to ourselves – when we may be tempted by our own anger and malice to prepare some kind of trap or destruction for others. God is much quicker to discipline His own dear children, and it is a much greater travesty when known children of God perpetrate evil against others. This is especially so within the church, when the evil is directed against fellow believers or against the church as an institution. Gossip is one of the great weapons of destruction utilized by the wicked within the church – but this proverb is quite applicable to gossips; they intend to ruin the reputation of others but end up ruining their own reputation irreparably. They fall into the very pit that they dug for another and the stone they started rolling does indeed come back to crush them. The same is true when we bring false theology into the church or immorality [violation of God’s commandments]. In both cases we are “digging a pit” for others and the boulder will come rolling back on us. We should not think that we are immune to such discipline from God, from these dynamics. If God’s love does not move us to love one another and to refrain from evil, then fear of His wrath and discipline should.
It is a very sad thing when people do not take God’s Word seriously even within Christian churches. It is difficult to contemplate just what kind of faith in Christ exists when other parts of God’s Word are mocked and disregarded – or when people substitute their own wisdom, insights, and “enlightenment” for the clear teachings of God’s Word. Surely it can be understood that if any portion of God’s Word is eroded away that this casts doubts on the very Gospel itself – the good news of sins forgiven and cleansed away in the shedding of Christ’s blood. And this is the only hope that we have in the face of our continued struggle against sin in our thinking, speaking, and doing – God’s gracious forgiveness and mercy. But if we are willing to scuttle the rest of God’s Word how long can faith in His gracious love remain? In fact, it could be argued that only those who have lost faith in Christ could intentionally perpetrate perversion of God’s Word.
So let us beware of the insidious and self-destructive nature of perpetrating sin against others and corrupting the life of the church. God is watching and He knows thousands of ways to bring evil back upon those who seek to perpetrate it against others. Let us also take comfort, courage, and confidence from this when we observe the evil that others attempt to commit, knowing that God will see to it and that we needn’t worry about vengeance or retribution. If we are forewarned about God’s discipline, and behave accordingly, perhaps our warnings to others will carry greater weight. And if we are behaving consonant with God’s love perhaps this will beget and encourage more of the same. Remembering His love for us, and knowing that He will return, we can focus on His Word and fulfilling His love in how we live our lives – through continuing repentance and faith.
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, we are well aware of the great propensity of evil in the world, even in our own small corner of the world. We too are tempted to respond in kind and to engage in evil for the sake of some supposed good. Remind us that You will repay, and keep us in repentance and faith that we may exercise compassion toward others, even our enemies. Keep our hearts pure in love that we may avoid need of Your discipline. Keep us in faith so that we do not lose heart in the face of the evil in this world. Amen.