On Guard

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
ON GUARD
Prov 6:16-19
16 There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, 19 a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. NIV
I wonder what the six things are because this is the list of the seven. Yet it may well be the same list, in the original language it could mean here is the six things the Lord hates and the seventh one is detestable to him. As if the first six which are listed here aren’t bad enough, the seventh is really bad. So here is the list of behaviors I really need to stay clear of as best I know how. I wonder if that is enough. I think I have been judged as appearing prideful by my peers, if I have actually had any. I am jesting with myself, of course, for I know full well I have nothing to be prideful about for I am but a sinner saved by grace. Yet I have been told people think I am prideful, and I just cannot accept that, for they know not my heart, yet I think I should work more on how I appear, for their sake, because they sin when they have that kind of attitude. About this lying tongue thing, I think it could be deeper than just a little white lie. That word carries the implication of being deceptive or committing fraud for purposes of personal gain. This I am not in the habit of engaging in nor do I ever desire to, for that would be so destructive to my own being as well as to others. I surely have never shed the blood of an innocent person, but maybe this speaks in a prophetic sense about Jesus. My sin surely has shed his innocent blood. But I think this may also apply to a lifestyle of taking advantage of others, using people for self-aggrandizement which goes right along with a heart which devises wicked schemes. I would hope I do not spend any time engaged in such fool hardy thinking. How could any believer spend any time trying to figure out some scheme for ill-gotten gain and then rush head long into putting it into action? Here is that part about those who judge me as prideful and mention it to my dear wife, for they are being a false witness pouring out lies about me. I surely will not gossip about them, nor do I want to listen to their gossip either, even when it is cloaked in the form of a prayer request. But the worse of the worse is this stirring up dissension, talking negative about another believer in order to cause others to think negatively about them. Not going to happen on my watch, at least from my mouth. I wonder if when I hear it, if I should call it out. That is a tough one. This has been a jumbled series of thoughts today, but I am getting the message anyway. Be careful, be on guard.