An Idea Borrowed

Years ago on a radio program someone shared that they read a chapter in Proverbs every day. Since there are 31 chapters and the longest month has 31 days it allows you to read through Proverbs on a regular basis. I use it as the launch pad for my personal worship time and branch out from there. On this blog I will try to share some of the insights I have in the Word. I will try to organize them in the archive by reference.

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

To the Rescue

(Proverbs 3:27-30 KJV)  Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.  Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.  Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.  Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.

As I write we are seeing Hurricane Harvey moving east and diminishing in power.  Out in the Atlantic the guys wanting a piece of the fame are predicting another moving toward the east coast of the United States.  In Texas we are seeing the results of this passage being applied without even thinking about it.  We see people being neighbors in the best sense and being individuals in the worst sense.

If you paid attention at all you saw all the people who spontaneously responded to the needs around them.  They dug out their boats and started rescuing people.  In our area which only had some high rain and winds they began loading up 18 wheelers with food and water.  It is the response of a Christian nation that does not “withhold” (4513) “good” (2896b).  What makes this giving what is “due” (1167)?  They are in need.  I even heard stories of people who lost everything along the coast who went north to help pull others out of the flood.  Jesus smiled.

Then you have those in verse 29 who are out to harm others.  Some of it is obvious.  The looters are out.  Some people think first about taking advantage.  On a more subtle level we have the gas lines in our area.  There is plenty of gas, or there would be if people didn’t panic.  I read that the stations are selling 2 ½ times as much gas as normal.  Why?  Because people start filling up everything so they will be taken care of.  If everyone would just relax and think of others there would be no gas lines.

So?  We have the good and the bad.  I don’t need to guess which group is acting the way God expects us to act.  I pray that in a crisis I will chose wisely. 

2 comments:

Gorges Smythe said...

Adversity always brings out the best in some and the worst in others. It pays to watch your neighbors at times like these, as you learn who you can count on.

Pumice said...

One of the struggles with getting older is learning to accept help gracefully. I remember about ten years ago when a young man insisted on pushing my cart to the car and helping me unload it.

Grace and peace.