Year 8, Day 319: Proverbs 28

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Proverbs 28 brings the challenge.  Take verse 9.  God thinks that the prayers of the person who turns away from the Lord are an abomination.  Naturally, this makes sense.  Why would God listen to a person who has turned away from Him?  Would you listen to a person who made it obvious that they didn’t care about that for which you stand?  Of course not!  The point of this proverb, though, is to make sure that we don’t become that person.  If we want God to listen to us, we need to live in such a manner as to demonstrate that we care about what He has to say.

Verse 13 also brings challenge.  The person who conceals their transgressions won’t prosper, but the person who confesses them with find correction and mercy.  This is contrary to our human nature.  We want to be perfect.  We want to show our best side.  We don’t want our bad choices to show.  But that is not the point of the proverb.  The proverb tells us that in order to know grace and mercy – and the growth that goes with it – we must be open to confession.  We don’t necessarily need to broadcast our flaws to the world, but those who can mentor us and those who we wrong do need to hear our confession.  It is through the humbleness of confession that we know grace the fullest.

I also think verse 23 brings a large challenge.  The person who rebukes another will find more favor in the end than the person who flatters.  This also seems counter-intuitive.  We don’t want to be rejected, so we think that we need to say things that others want to hear.  We don’t want to hurt people, so we don’t make them uncomfortable.  Yet, what growth occurs when we are comfortable?  What growth occurs when people are telling us that we are perfect?  Do we really love and respect the people in our own lives who simply give us platitudes?

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