No Winking

DEVOTION

PROVERBS

NO WINKING

Prov 16:30

30 He who winks with his eye is plotting perversity; he who purses his lips is bent on evil.

NIV

This is the last of four proverbs aimed at those who would do harm to others. Some scholars would suggest they are aimed directly at an evil person of the time of Solomon, but then they would not be eternal words for all mankind to take heed of. So we must understand there are still people who would shut their eyes to anything on the outside to mediate inwardly on their plot to do some kind of self-gratifying pleasure that may well bring harm to others in the process. That is the suggestion here and that they mutter to themselves in their plotting evil. Closed off from all ideas, closed off from what is right, closed off from God, scheming within as to how to achieve their plans, their goals, their own gain even at the cost of others. But in another sense this winking of the eye could also be seen as one who would tell a lie in plotting their scheme. As this person tells some story, they turn toward their comrade and wink, as to indicate their intent of evil is working. Whatever the sense we look at this, we need to be aware of this kind and once again avoid them at all costs. There are those who would endeavor to share the gospel with such and try to bring them to righteousness, but this may well be casting our pearls before the swine. There is evil in this world, and it is present in certain people who have given themselves over to Satan. Nothing, but the power of the Holy Spirit can break his spell upon them. But at the same time we should be careful that we do not become so inwardly focused that we pay more attention to our own heart then to the heart of God. We know that our heart is deceitfully wicked, if we refused to admit that we may have already closed our eyes to the truth of God and have begun to plot our own evil ways, speaking our own brand of truth to ourselves. We must never wink.