AUGUST 31, 2024
READ: Proverbs 22 (Focus vs.1-5)
MEMORY VERSE
“The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.” Proverbs 22:3
BAKGROUND
The sight was heartbreaking. A pod of fifty-five pilot whales had stranded themselves on a Scottish beach. Volunteers tried to save them, but ultimately they died.
No one knows why mass strandings like this occur, but it could be due to the whales’ strong social bonds. When one gets into trouble, the rest come to help—a caring instinct that can ironically lead to harm.
The Bible clearly calls us to help others, but to also be wise in how we do so. For example, when we help restore someone who’s caught in a sin, we’re to be careful that we’re not dragged into that sin ourselves (Galatians 6:1), and while we’re to love our neighbors, we’re to love ourselves too (Matthew 22:39).
Proverbs 22:3 says, “The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.” This is a good reminder when helping others starts harming us.
Some years ago, two very needy people started attending our church. Soon, caring congregants were burning out responding to their cries. The solution wasn’t to turn the couple away but to put boundaries in place so helpers weren’t harmed.
Jesus, the ultimate helper, took time for rest (Mark 4:38), and He ensured His disciples’ needs weren’t displaced by others’ needs (6:31). Wise caring follows His example. By tending to our own health, we’ll have more care to give in the long term.
By: Sheridan Voysey
INSIGHT
The prudent person is contrasted with the simple throughout the book of Proverbs: “The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty” (Proverbs 22:3; 27:12). The prudent refers to a shrewd and wise person.
The simple person is the opposite, described consistently as one “who [had/has] no sense” (7:7; 9:4, 16) and is therefore a fool. Proverbs 14:8 and verse 15 describe the simple as one who’s gullible, believes anything, and is easily deceived.
In contrast, the prudent person carefully evaluates the situation and guardedly decides how to proceed: “The wise are cautious and avoid danger; fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence” (14:16 nlt). Therefore, “a prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions.
The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences” (27:12 nlt). The prudent—in contrast to the simple—avoid the dangers and pitfalls of life (see 7:7-23).
By: K. T. Sim
APPLICATION
How do you recognize your need for rest and refuge? What helps you to serve others over the long term?
PR’s RE-EMPHASIS (From Post)
“Wise caring follows CHRIST’s example. By tending to our own health (and wealth) we’ll have more care to give in the long term.”
PR’s (PASTOR RICHARD) TAKE
“You can’t pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first. – (Then you can pour joyfully into others)” – Norm Kelly (Adapted)
PRAYER
Holy Spirit, please empower me to serve others in a healthy, sustainable way.
TODAY’S HYMN/WORSHIP/PRAISE/GOSPEL SONG
“THE LOVE OF CHRIST” Wes King
Incomparable kindness to less than the least
To the broken, the battered, and weak
To all who are hungry there comes a call
To be filled with the fullness of God
It’s beyond all you can see
Farther than you’d believe
It’s a mystery
My prayer for you is that you would know
How wide, and how long, and how high,
How deep is the love
How deep is the love of Christ
The width of two arms outstretched on a tree
The length of the road to Calvary
The height of the crown on a cruel cross
The depth of the pain is the cost
All for you, all for me
All for love did He bleed
All to set us free
My prayer for you is that you will know
How wide, and how long, and how high,
How deep is the love
How deep is the love of Christ…
READING THROUGH THE BIBLE THIS YEAR (DAILY)
ACTS 12
