(Prov 28:1 MSG) The wicked are edgy with guilt, ready to run off even when no one’s after them; Honest people are relaxed and confident, bold as lions.
This morning we continue our “Unlocking the Power of Proverbs – Walking in the Wisdom of God” series. Here Solomon contrasts the disposition of a wicked man, who knows he is not living right before God, with that of an honest man, who is living right before God and who does not have anything to fear. A great example of this is Adam and Eve. By the end of Genesis chapter two Adam and Eve were living the ‘good life.’ They had purpose, provision, partnership, power, and they had one parameter that they could not violate. The last verse in the chapter says that Adam and Eve were naked and not ashamed. They were so God-conscious, Spirit-led, and purpose-driven that they were not concerned at all, about anything. Adam and Eve were blessed and confident. However, after they sinned, the same couple was ashamed and afraid. Their confidence had turned to cowardice. That is a picture of what sin will do to you. Sin robs you of your confidence and peace, and it puts you in a continual state of fear.
Let me give you a more contemporary example. I did not grow up with a brother, so there were a couple of guys in my neighborhood in Brooklyn that I looked to like brothers. One of them was older than me and I really looked up to him for years. However, by the time I reached High School he started selling drugs. I did not cut off my relationship with him, but I no longer looked up to him. My neighborhood was full of drug dealers and users, so this was not necessarily uncommon. I am just thankful that I never got caught up in it, because I respected my mother too much to ever use or sell drugs. Let’s fast-forward a few years and I am now in the U.S. Army. I had a car and I drove home to NYC on leave. My older friend was still selling drugs. I went to see him and some way or another, I wound up taking him somewhere in my car. I remember getting to a red light. Without thinking, I made a right-on-red. I think NYC is the only place that it is illegal to make a right-on-red. I was so accustomed to doing it, that I simply made the right turn. However, since this is illegal in NYC and since my friend new it was, he freaked out. I asked him what was wrong and he explained to me that I could not do anything illegal, because if we got pulled over, he would get arrested. He was so afraid of the police that he lived in a continual state of fear. I, on the other hand, was not afraid at all. I knew that I could easily explain the honest mistake to a police officer. I remember looking at my friend in the car and thinking, “That is no way to live.” The two of us, in my car that day, paint the picture of what Solomon is saying.
So what does this mean to you today? Two things:
1. Righteousness breeds confidence. When you know you are right before God, you face every challenge undaunted, with full confidence that you will come out on top. You have nothing to fear, because God is with you. Back in chapter 14 Solomon said, “Reverence for the LORD gives confidence and security to a man and his family” (v.26).
2. Sin breeds fear. When you know you are living in sin and you are not in good standing with God, then you are susceptible to continual fear. This fear will rob you of all peace, to the point where you will run when no one is chasing you. You live your life on edge, expecting something bad to happen at anytime. This is no way to live.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for this reminder. I make every effort, every day, to live right before You. Not that I can earn my righteousness, because Jesus made me righteous, but I will live my life in pursuit of You and Your purpose for me. Since my relationship with You is intact, I can face every day with unwavering confidence and unrelenting faith. I am not moved by what I see. I stand on Your Word and I face every challenge with the expectation of coming out on top. I have lived in sin in the past and I know how sin can rob me of my confidence. That is no way to live and I declare, by faith, that I will never live that way again. I am Your child, called according to Your purpose, and by faith I shall accomplish Your purpose for my life before I die. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
