Reading your Bible for Today October 1?

October 17: Proverbs 15:20-23

KJV Key Verse: Proverbs 15:23
23 A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!

Devotion:
Those people who are lacking in wisdom are like fish going after bait; their only concern is to get the bait and not to worry about the consequences. They (the people and not the fish) seem to have pleasure in sinning all the time and not worrying about what is going to happen to them or other people. Yet those who understand the consequences do have concern for others and will stop before they throw it all away.

When those people who lack wisdom are put away in jail, they may still lack the concern for consequence when they come out of jail unless they have been educated within the prison. It's not going to take just one concerned person but many people to convince them they are actually doing something wrong, and, unfortunately, they are surrounded by people who don't care! When they come back into society, they have to be continually supported in order for them to learn in the right environment. We, as Christians, are like those people being released from prison. We may know what is right and wrong, but are we in the right environment to steer clear of the sin we used to do? Are the people around us educating us in the right manner? If not, then are we listening to the right people or are we continuing to listen to those who do not care of the consequences of sin in their lives?

Right from an early age we are taught what is right and wrong, but whether we are going to listen to such advice is up to us. If we are able to experience first-hand what happens when we do things wrong, then we are more likely to try and right ourselves. That is one of the best things about parents! They have been there and have been in trouble for the things that we still face ahead of us. Their advice is based on experience rather than theory. Listening to them will not only make them happy, but may well stop us from doing something stupid ahead!

But the ultimate consequence of sin is hidden from us through the “veil of death.” After we physically die, we are going to have to face up to which way we have chosen to live our lives... in front of Christ!

Points to Ponder:
How much trouble to you have to get in before you listen?

How far will God have to let you go before you change your life?