A Dog and his Vomit

(Prov 26:11 GW)  As a dog goes back to its vomit, so a fool repeats his stupidity.

This morning we continue our series entitled, “Unlocking the Power of Proverbs – Walking in the Wisdom of God.”  Solomon is very good at painting pictures for us.  The picture Solomon paints for us today, to get our week started, is both repulsive and sickening.  To think that a dog—who being sick with what he has eaten, vomits it up and out—would return afterwards to the vomit, only to lick it up again, is disgusting.  However, that’s the comparison Solomon gives to a fool who repeats his stupidity.  The point being that a dog is no more revolted by its own vomit than a fool by his own folly; they both go back to that which is vile and disgusting.  Why?  Because the dog doesn’t have any sense and neither does the fool.

This reminds me of “The Book of Five Chapters.”  It’s a short book.  In chapter one a man is walking down a street and he falls into a hole.  That’s the end of chapter one.  In chapter two the same man is walking down the same street, this time he sees the same hole and he… falls into the hole.  That’s the end of chapter two.  In chapter three the same man is walking down the same street, he sees the hole, stops, tries to go around the hole, and… falls into the hole.  That’s the end of chapter three.  In chapter four the same man walks down the same street, sees the same hole, stops, backs up, stretches out, takes a running start, and attempts to jump over the hole, and… you guessed it, he fell in the hole.  That’s the end of chapter four.  In chapter five the same man got some sense, he read chapters one through four and he… went down another street.  The point of the book is that there comes a time when we must learn from our mistakes.  Albert Einstein said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

In the New Testament Peter referred to this verse when discussing people who claimed to have come to Christ, only to return to the sin they claimed to be delivered from.  Peter said, “People can know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and escape the world’s filth.  But if they get involved in this filth again and give in to it, they are worse off than they were before.  It would have been better for them never to have known the way of life that God approves of than to know it and turn their backs on the holy life God told them to live.  These proverbs have come true for them: “A dog goes back to its vomit,” and “A pig that has been washed goes back to roll around in the mud” (2 Peter 2:20-22).  As believers the Father calls us from darkness, and He then expects us to renew our minds, so that we can truly walk in His marvelous light.  Returning to the things the Father has delivered us from is like a dog returning to vomit.

So what does this mean to you today?  A few things:

1.  If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got.

2.  If you want something you have never had, you will have to do something you have never done.

3.  Don’t tell me you moved if I keep finding you at your old address.

4.  Look back to look forward.  Learn from the mistakes of your past and ask God for the grace to ensure you don’t repeat them.

Closing Confession:  Father, thank You for Your grace and Your Son.  Jesus died in my stead.  Jesus paid a price He did not owe for a debt I could not pay.  I am cleansed by the Blood of Jesus.  I have been translated out of the kingdom of darkness, and into the Kingdom of Your dear Son.  I am covered by the Blood, anointed by Your Spirit, and called according to Your purpose for my life.  I am new in Christ and I submit myself to the mind-renewal process so that I can walk in the newness of the life that Christ Jesus died to give me.  I shall never again be yoked up with the filth of this world.  By Your grace I am able to learn from the mistakes of my past and make better decisions—that keep me on Your desired path for my life—in both my present and future.  I make better decisions and I enjoy better results!  In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper!