(Prov 25:26 TNIV) Like a muddied spring or a polluted well are the righteous who give way to the wicked.
This morning we get back to our series entitled, “Unlocking the Power of Proverbs – Walking in the Wisdom of God.” When I was kid I visited the Dominican Republic regularly. My family is from the center of the country, so while I was there we did not frequent beaches, but we sure did frequent rivers. Well, we had to go down to a little stream by my grandmother’s house almost every day because we had no running water, and that was our water supply. While it did not taste like water from a tap, it was good enough to drink and to sustain all those living in the area. There were times, however, when we visited a river somewhere that was polluted. Polluted waters posed a challenge for all those in the surrounding area. One look at the water and you knew that you should not put it in your mouth. While it was a river, it was basically of no use to the inhabitants because it had been contaminated. What was once pure, clean, and life-flowing water, had become useless. This is the picture Solomon is painting for us. The Contemporary English Version of this text makes the picture clear; it reads: “When a good person gives in to the wicked, it’s like dumping garbage in a stream of clear water.”
Without question, the Father expects us to be light in the midst of darkness, hope in the midst of despair, and righteousness in the midst of the unrighteous and unrepentant. I know, this is not a popular message today, because compromise is so commonplace, but while believers might compromise their witness, the Lord has never compromised His standards. The Father has never required any less than ALL of us and He expects us to walk in accordance with his Word, will, and way. Far too many believers today make concessions for the ungodly influences they have in their lives and those concessions often lead to sin. Believe me, I do understand that none of us is perfect and the devil would love nothing less than for you and I to sit around, beating ourselves up about our imperfections. But there must be a balance between understanding our flaws and embracing sin. Many believers today, under the guise of being imperfect, have convinced themselves that their ‘secret sin’ is okay; but all sin (open or secret) contaminates our well, dilutes our witness, and hinders the flow of God’s blessing in and through our lives. We are supposed to be like that spring by my grandmother’s house… clean, fresh, and refreshing. But when we give way to unrighteous influences, it’s like we are allowing the unrighteous to dump garbage into the spring of life the Father birthed in us.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. The Father expects you to remain strong, to hold your ground, and to maintain your integrity, instead of yielding and giving in to unrighteous influences.
2. Stop trying to convince yourself that ‘secret sin’ will not hinder the mission and vision of God for your life.
3. Shield yourself from unrighteous influences. Cut-ties if you have to, but do all you can to maintain clean hands and a pure heart as you seek to worship your Holy God.
4. Be quick to repent. If you mess up, if you miss it, then quickly repent, ask God for forgiveness, forgive yourself, and move on by faith. Don’t allow guilt and shame to keep you from moving forward.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for this Word. This is a reminder for me that You have never required any less than ALL of me. I give myself to You afresh. I abstain from even the appearance of evil. I shield myself from unrighteous influences. I humble myself before You today and every day. And when I mess up, when I miss the mark, I quickly repent. I come to You in humility, I confess my sin, I receive forgiveness from You, I learn to forgive myself, and I then move forward by faith. I refuse to allow the devil to keep me confined to the mistakes of my past. Whenever he reminds me of my past, I remind him of his future! I declare this by faith! In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
