Corona Devo 3185

“There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers; 
(12) those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth; 
(13) those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful; 
(14) those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among mankind.  ~Proverbs 30:11-14

~~
There are those...

Lord, I thought of many people when I read these verses.  
"Those."  
There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers... (Proverbs 30:11).

Some people curse their dads, and do not thank or bless their moms.  They are ungrateful.  Entitled.  Expectant.  Lazy and spoiled.  Some young, and some old enough to know much better...we can think of some of those.

~~~

(12) those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth; 
(13) those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful...  ~Proverbs 30:12-13

Oh yes, we know these people.  
"Those." 
These verses (God's Words) describe them exactly.  

They think they are completely pure, but the Bible calls it how it really is: they (yet) are not cleansed of their filth.  And why?

We know why, because we know "these" people. 
It's because of their haughtiness (pride), and their disdain for others (and their glory of themselves). 

Oh yes, we know these people: those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth; those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful (Proverbs 30:12-13).  
I hope these verses are in their daily Bible reading today too.

~~~

And--one more description God gives us of "those" people: 

(14) those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among mankind.  ~Proverbs 30:14

Ooo, (and ouch!) we know those that pierce with harsh and judgemental and mean words.  Yes, we can think of a number of people right now that have gauged us.  Have (verbally) punctured and punched us, our loved ones, our faith, and our hearts...  
Their teeth are swords and their jaws are set with knives to devour us. 
Yes, we know "those".

~~~

(11)“There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers; 
(12) those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth; 
(13) those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful; 
(14) those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among mankind.  ~Proverbs 30:11-14

Yes, I think of many people when I read these verses.  

What?  What's that You say, Lord?  

You think of ME when you read (and wrote) these verses?

Let's read them again, Friends.  This time...applying the bold and never-errant words of God to us.

~~~

(11)“There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers...  ~Proverbs 30:11
If I am honest, one of my largest regrets in life is my treatment of my mom and dad in my middle and high school years.  Shrugging off their touch, discounting/disrespecting their words, and even disobeying their rules.  If God's one command for children (of any age) is to Honor thy father and thy mother, then the Lord knows that this is another commandment that I have broken.  

Forgive us, Father, and may our earthly fathers and mothers forgive us of our trespasses against them. 

There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers... (Proverbs 30:11), and God reminds us through His Word today that we are those.  How (in word/deed/prayer/praise) can we honor our fathers and bless our mothers today?

In what ways can we be grateful to our fathers and mothers today?
How can we (even in memory and praise of our parents) be complimentary, respectful, honoring, and loving to our fathers and mothers today?

Can we (instead) be those type of people?

~~~

(12) those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth; 
(13) those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful...  ~Proverbs 30:12-13

Oh yes, God knows that we are "those" people at times.  
Self-righteous, haughty eyes, disdainful glances: we are these people sometimes, and we know it.  And the Lord knows it too, which is why He placed these verses in our daily Bible reading today (and not someone else's).   

"Those"...these verses (God's Words) describe us exactly sometimes, and for this (and our pride) we are sorry, Father.  Please forgive us, and cleanse us of our filth.  Amen.

~~~

And--one more description God gives us of "those" people, and now that we realize that the "those" are not across town, or in our office team, or at our lunch table: they are us.  "Those" that God speaks of with wicked and wounding words...are us.: 

(14) those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among mankind.  ~Proverbs 30:14

Ooo, (and ouch!).  It is terrible to apply this description to ourselves.  But, we know that there are times when we pierce with harsh, judgemental, and mean words.  
Be honest--at times we have gauged people with our teeth-like-swords, and we have devoured the poor and needy.

I know that I am in the "those" group sometimes, and for this skewing-of-your-love and misuse-of-your-giftings to me, Father: I repent and I am sorry.

There is purpose and reason and conviction in your speaking Proverbs 30:11-14 into our hearts today.  It is not about "them" and "those"...this revealing of abused-power and negative-influence is for us.

And Lord...forgive us.  Please.  

Just as Newton's Third Law of Motion states that every reaction has an equal and opposite reaction...we can apply the same idea to God's Word and to Proverbs 30:11-14.

Brothers and Sisters, let's purpose to not curse our fathers and to (instead) bless our mothers.  
May we seek to be pure in God's eyes, and let's earnestly inquire of Him to cleanse us of our filth.
Keep our eyes and attitudes from being haughty today, Lord.
And don't allow even so much as a glance in disdain.
If we are tempted/frustrated/angered/or hurt into reacting and speaking with teeth like swords and jaws set with knives...halt us in our tracks and don't let us devour the poor in spirit, or the needy among mankind.

Oh yes, we know "those" people that Proverbs 30 describes, and God does not want us to be them.

"Those"...
Don't let them be us.

~~~

Blessings,

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