Tiny Devotional for Sunday, 09-11-2022

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, good luck finding something to eat.

The righteousness of the upright will deliver them,
But the treacherous will be caught by their own greed.
Proverbs 11:6, NASB


I was looking for something in today’s verse that would speak to the anniversary of 9/11. I didn’t find it in the words I have recorded above.

The problem I had was with the word ‘greed.’ It just didn’t seem to match up with the wicked acts of 21 years ago.

Fortunately, Bible Gateway lets me compare MANY different translations with very little effort.  The KJV translates the word as ‘naughtiness,’ and that’s the most whimsical of several different translations. After reading maybe five alternatives, I realized that the focus of the verse is not criticizing a particular moral/ethical fracture. This isn’t a text for a sermon against greed; it’s affirming logical consequences:

  • Poke a bear, and it will smite you.
  • Eat cookies all day long, and you will get fat.
  • Ride wagon down a hill, and you WILL crash.

Now, in those three examples, it’s really easy to see the cause and effect. But in the larger scale of our lives, and our civilization, it’s not so clear. We see mean people who seem to have lots of friends; despotic regimes remain in power; bossy intrusive meddlers continue to intrude and meddle. Sigh. It’s so frustrating!

Well, take a break. This verse is not a warning; it’s a promise. It says that we reap what we sow, and thus encourages us to sow love and peace, and don’t worry about those who sow hate and division.

We will all receive the appropriate reward.

Peace be on your household.

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