Day 109, Year 1

Wisdom Leads Us Away from Evil

“A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil, But a fool is arrogant and careless.” (Proverbs 14:16 NASB) 

“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil.” (Proverbs 8:13a NASB)

What do the wise fear to turn aside from evil? They either see or foresee the end of evildoers, or are afraid of displeasing God with evildoings. In Proverbs, the wise have the ability to see through the surface of things, to see further, and even the endings. For instance, they see that unrighteous gain, even if it complies with human laws, would not benefit themselves or their descendants in the long run, therefore rejecting it. In other words, the wise decide according to sound reasons or principles and the long-term consequences of various things. In doing so, they do not have strong will or personal desires.

The first verse of today states that “a fool is arrogant and careless.” It refers to the fact that the fools trust in themselves, have a strong personal will, and believe their desires will surely be actualized. This is a noticeable reminder for those who read the Bible. If we read the Bible and only choose to read what we think is right or good, then we are not reading the Bible, but merely revisiting and reinforcing what we have already believed. We easily forget what the Bible has written, but our preconceived beliefs or opinions are further fortified. Hence, we are most likely to mistake our own words as the words of truth and the Bible. Conversely, we need to humble ourselves first under God’s words so as to receive His truth from reading the Bible. We should not seek to affirm what we already believe, but seek to know the unknown truths, and even notice His words that are against our existing beliefs or opinions. As a result, we believe in God’s Word and allow Him to change us drastically with His words.

Furthermore, the second verse of today indicates that true fear of God will lead to an emotional or affective alteration. It is because those who fear Him would draw near to Him and know His hatred of evil. When we gradually understand, comprehend, and experience God’s hatred of evil, we could naturally hate evil like Him. In contrast, without receiving His heart that hates evil, we would not flee from evildoing, and those who keep doing evil cannot truly fear God. As a result, they believe in the Lord while continuing to do evil, causing greater confusion and harm to themselves and those around them, ultimately facing condemnation and eternal punishment from Jesus (Matthew 7:23). Thus, reading the Bible is not only to know God intellectually, but also to understand and feels His emotions, and to develop His affections in us.

Reflection questions:

1) When you read the Bible, do you usually set aside your personal will or desires and allow God’s words to transform you? If there are difficulties, how would you overcome them?

2) Have your feelings and emotions gradually changed and gotten closer to those of God through reading the Bible? If you lack such alteration, what might be the problem, and how would you deal with it with His help?