Be sure your sin will find you out ∙

Be sure your sin will find you out ∙

Be sure your sin will find you out. – Numbers 32:23

Proverbs 10:9 He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out.

Proverbs 10:8-12

 8 The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces.

 9 People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall.

 10 People who wink at wrong cause trouble, but a bold reproof promotes peace.

 11 The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain; the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions.

 12 Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses.

On September 26, 1937, a new radio drama premiered called the Shadow. The Shadow was the main character. He was characterized as having “the power to cloud men’s minds.”

The introductory line from The Shadow radio program was, “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!” It was spoken by actor Frank Readick and made its way into American pop culture.

At the end of each episode, The Shadow reminded listeners, “The weed of crime bears bitter fruit! Crime does not pay. The Shadow knows!”

No matter how successfully we think we have covered our tracks, our sin will find us out. A life marked by lies and deceit is insecure and subject to exposure. We have seen this happen time and time again in recent years. Even U.S. presidents have been brought down.

Proverbs 10:9 But he who perverts his ways will be found out.

The Hebrew word translated as perverts is aqash. Aqash literally means to twist, make crooked, or distort. It can be translated as “makes his paths crooked,” that is, “behaves deceitfully” (UBS).

The inevitable result is that those who behave deceitfully and twist their ways will be found out, become known, and exposed. This is a general principle of life but not necessarily characterized by immediate cause and effect.

“Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small; Though with patience He stands waiting, with exactness grinds He all” (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow). “The righteous secure their place in the world, whereas a life of deception holds only the promise of detection and disgrace” (Garrett).

A wise person is teachable and willing to become wiser still. But a bristly, hardened fool does not learn anything. An honest person is secure in his conduct. But a person whose paths are crooked (literally, “twisted”), whose conduct is wicked, in contrast with a person of integrity, eventually will be discovered for what he truly is (BKC).

REFLECT & PRAY

If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.

Father thank You for knowing the inner secret hearts of all children of the King. You do not wink at our wrongdoing; instead, You expose it and forgive it.

INSIGHT

At any given point in life, we make wise choices or ill-advised ones. A life of deceit is like a hole. The bigger it gets, the less it contains. It is a paradox. The more deception increases, the more the quality of life decreases. It goes from bad to worse.

“Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive” (Sir Walter Scott).

Proverbs 10:10 People who wink at wrong cause trouble, and a babbling fool will come to ruin.

The winking of the eye is a cloaked signal of collusion with wrongdoing. Here winking is the endorsement of misconduct. It could be restated; winking of the eye leads to trouble. Today we speak of making excuses for wrong behavior.

The Hebrew word translated as trouble is atstsebeth. Atstsebeth connotes physical or mental pain and emotional sorrow or grief.

What can we do? Proverbs spells it out.

Proverbs 10:11-12

 11 The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain; the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions.

 12 Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses.

We choose to live a godly life characterized by love and kindness. As a result, our words will give life to others. We cover and make up for the offenses and transgressions of others through a blanket of forgiveness. Love contributes toward peace because it covers or forgives the faults of others. It does not dwell on those faults. Those who choose righteous living do not hide or cover up wrongs; instead, they expose and forgive the wrongdoers (UBS).

“Do you ever feel tempted to give up? Perhaps right now, you feel overlooked, forgotten, mistreated, and you want to quit. Satan’s goal is to get you to do just that – throw in the towel and call it quits. Discouragement is his favorite weapon.

But remember this: while disappointments are inevitable, discouragement is a choice.

Once we yield to the devil’s debilitating whispers of doubt and fear, we quickly find ourselves trapped in a web of self-pity. Soon afterward, we try to justify our feelings of anger, envy, and jealousy. Encouragement rarely comes to those looking for ways to justify themselves.

During a very troubling time in Israel’s history, God directed Jeremiah to speak words of hope and encouragement to the disheartened exiles in Babylon: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.’ If we are ever going to reach our full potential, we must understand a very important truth: God is for us. He is not against us. In Babylon, Israel sorted out her faith and rediscovered her deep need for the Lord.

God often uses trials to position us for greater blessing. Even in times of great disappointment, He has our best in mind. He knows how He wants to use the disappointment or hardship for our benefit, and He desires that we see Him as our only source of salvation and blessing.

When you feel tempted to yield to discouragement, go to God in prayer. Tell Him all you are feeling – the unkind ways you have been treated that do not seem fair to you. God has an objective view of the situation. He sees the future and knows the direction your life will take. He also wants you to totally depend on Him and not rely on the compliments or resources of others. While disappointments will come – you live in a fallen world, after all – you can live above it by focusing your heart on Jesus Christ.

If you are in an emotionally or physically difficult spot right now, refuse to become discouraged. Ask the Lord to reveal His will and plan for your life. Commit yourself fully to Him and pray to obey no matter what it costs. If you take this approach, then God will provide for you in ways that far exceed human understanding” (Stanley).

We always have a choice. We can quarrel and stir up hatred, or we can love and forgive offenses.

We are to choose to follow the example of the Lord Jesus Christ; I do not condemn you either. Go, and sin no more (John 8:11).

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© Dr. H 2022