Tiny Devotional for Wednesday, 04-10-2024

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family who might drop by, banana bread and Cheerios.

On the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found,
But a rod is for the back of him who lacks understanding.
Proverbs 10:13, NASB

Old School Discipline

Question: Two birds perched in a tree. One made a decision to fly off. How many were left?
Answer: TWO: because he only made a decision; he didn't act on it.

I think that illustrates what this verse addresses. In the first line, the word translated as 'discerning' (בִּין , bene) in some translations is rendered as 'the one who understands.' Both are accurate. The word in the second line (לֵב ,lave) is most often translated as 'heart;' it's implicit in this term that action is involved. 

It's an important distinction, because otherwise, it might sound as if we advocate beating on someone who is just a little bit slow. That's NOT a technique designed to bond the learner with the teacher! But intellect is NOT the quality that is lacking, in the second line; it's will, determination, commitment to carry out what is needful. The person who lacks lave has a complete knowledge of the duty owed; that just doesn't matter very much, because they would prefer to do something else, or to do nothing at all. However, a rod to THEIR back can be surprisingly fruitful. 

By the way, the first line doesn't mean their lipstick is applied correctly; it means that not only are they DOING what they are KNOWING, they are also spreading truth to others. Their words are powerful, because they're confirmed by their actions. 

Today, let's avoid the rod. Let's do what we know, and encourage others as well.

Peace be on your household.

Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 10, 2024 at 7:39 AM

    🤔 Did the bird who made a decision to fly out of the nest decide not to be he
    she was afraid his her lipstick was not applied correctly? I will work on encouraging Piper to avoid the rod that has never been applied to her chunky backside.🦄

    ReplyDelete

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