Staying home

DEVOTION

PROVERBS

STAYING HOME

Prov 28:7

7 He who keeps the law is a discerning son, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.

NIV

It is clear that we are who we keep company with. First we should note gluttons may or may not be the best choice of the interpretation of the Hebrew. This word carries the meaning of riotous or worthless, to be insignificant, to make light of, to squander, to be lavish with. That may be why glutton is used. Nevertheless we first think of the younger or prodigal son who squandered his inheritance on lavish living and how he disgraced his father. Yet his father rejoiced in his returning home. The older son would have been the one who keeps the law and respected his father. But then he became angry and jealous because of the treatment of the returning son. Who was the better of the two? Is this not the picture of us and God? The sons and daughters of the Father. Certainly it is far better, more discerning of us to keep the law and thus please the Father. But again, this is not “The Law”, but the law of love which Jesus told us was the greatest of all, and then in doing so we fulfilled all the law and the prophets.  

Matt 22:35-40

 36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

37 Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'   38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'   40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." 

NIV

This then would also mean that as someone might become a prodigal son or daughter and wander off to squander their inheritance, living some lavish lifestyle, but then repenting and coming back to the Father asking but to be a servant, rather than a son, receives such a warm welcome from the Father and  also from the body of Christ. At the same time we also have to understand it is possible for us to be that type of son or daughter who hangs around with the wrong crowd and starts becoming like the company we keep. True we may not actually turn our backs on the Father, but we might also start taking on some of the ways of the crowd we hang with. This could be in various aspects. We know it sounds like a broken record, but we cannot help think about the ways of the world being related to money, storing it up, investing it, trusting in it. We can’t help also think about some of the ideologies of the world, such as evolution, climate change, sexual orientation indoctrination, many paths to God, just to name a few. Although we are to love those in the world as Jesus does, we are not to keep company with their ideologies, or think as they do. Keeping the law is far more then external and appearances just as not smoking, drinking, dancing, going to movies, rolling rinks, or wearing the right hair style, or clothes depending on what denominational bias dictates. Keeping the law, being a discerning son or daughter is knowing the difference between pure trust in God, following his lead in loving those in need of his salvation, but staying home in our being that son or daughter, not wandering off getting involved with that bad company of gluttons. Yes, we are still human and have our body to contend with which desires some pleasures. It is the struggle of being in the body, but we do not need to become like the world just because we live in it. At the core of our being, our spirit, we love the Lord, we love the Father and we discern the truth of his desire for our lives. Let us continue to seek him and to stay home.