Blow Hard

DEVOTION

PROVERBS

BLOW HARD

Prov 25:14

14 Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of gifts he does not give.

NIV

It is doubtful this is about someone who says they are going to give someone a gift and then not give it. It might be about the person who boasts how much he gives when in actuality he gives very little or nothing at all. This could relate to those who say how much they tithe, but don’t. It could relate to how many good deeds someone says they do, and don’t. It could relate to how much of anything someone boasts about but doesn’t really do what they boast about. However, it also might relate to just a promise of doing something and never doing it. The idea here is that we should let our yes be yes and our no be no. There is no reason to boast of anything we do or give or promise to give or do. When we see the sky filled with dark clouds and the wind bending the trees we certainly expect to run for cover for the storm is about to unleash the rain in all it fury. This is the type of expectation people have from someone who either boasts of his giving or promises to give. They expect to see the results of the boasting. But boasting is simply boasting, it has nothing to do with the rain, or the actual results. Sometimes it is easy to put off things by saying we will do them someday. That is a promise to give either time or money in the future, when in effect we never intend to. It is just a type of procrastination, yet it is still a promise or a boast about doing but not doing. So then we have to be sure that our yes is yes and our no is no. It is alright to say no, if we do not want or ever intend to do or give something. In fact it is far better to say no, then yes and not do or give. At least we will be known as a persons of our word, rather than a blowhard, a storm without the rain.