Friday, January 24, 2014

Visual Instruction

 Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.
Proverbs 24:32

In the preceding verses, Solomon observed the calamity of others. And he learned from their mistakes. Can we say the same? Or are we too busy telling others of the dramatic events to take notice of any lessons that are applicable to us? The enticement to gossip sometimes overwhelms our ability to visually digest what we have just seen. We are too busy sharing with others to stop and take notice of the real situation.

Notice what Solomon did after seeing the event - "he considered it well". He didn't say that he spread the juicy details or looked down his nose. No, he carefully considered the ramifications and recognized that but by the grace of God, he could have been the victim of such an event. And so could we. We need to carefully consider each situation we behold and ensure that we learn from others mistakes. The visual instruction of their destruction should serve as a grim reminder that we need to be firmly rooted in God's grace and plan for us.