A person’s own folly leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against the LORD. – Proverbs 19:3

Today’s Scripture Reading (October 8, 2019): Proverbs 19

American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote that “the sower may mistake and sow his peas crookedly: the peas make no mistake, but come up and show his line.” The reality in this life is that we have to live with the consequences of our actions. If we try to sow peas in a straight line and fail, those peas will not correct our mistake. They will grow up just as crooked as they were planted.

As Christians, we sometimes get confused at this point. When we ask God for forgiveness, we know that “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). This is the promise; if we ask for forgiveness, we will receive forgiveness. But too often we are disappointed that the consequences of our actions are not also automatically wiped out.

The release from consequences is the hope of most prisoners who make a jailhouse conversion to Christianity. The fact that they have become Christians, they hope, will weigh in their favor during any parole hearings that they might have in the future. But a release from consequences has never been promised. Even David, a man after God’s own heart, was forgiven for his sins, but the King still paid a high price in the consequences he suffered through because of his actions.

Solomon points to what seems to be our reality, and his. It is our foolishness that leads us into our worst consequences. And yet, we cry out to God, blaming him for our circumstances. The truth that this Proverb wants to remind us of is that often, especially in the developed or First World, we are poor because we have been foolish with our money. We often suffer from ill-health because we partake in activities that destroy our health. As I write this, I am suffering from a really sore knee. Is that God’s fault? No. I can point back to injuries I sustained playing football as a teen that has led me to this point of knee failure.

It is our folly, our actions, that lead us into ruin. If we had followed a better plan, our current reality would be different. But the consequences are ours. And the fault is ours, and not God’s. God did not force us to act in a way that was detrimental to our future. We did that all on our own.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Proverbs 20