Walking with the Wise #30: Watch Out!

“A worthless person, a wicked man,

goes about with crooked speech,

winks with his eyes,
signals with his feet,

points with his finger,

with perverted heart devises evil,

continually sowing discord;

therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly;

in a moment he will be broken beyond healing”

—Proverbs 6:12-15

Our world is fallen, and there are many out there who would like to do you harm. Whether it’s family, so-called friends, co-workers, or acquaintances, we have to be as “wise as serpents and innocent as doves”—Matthew 10:16. While we are to love our neighbors, we must also be on guard against those who wish to do us harm.

Today’s proverb describes a “worthless” or “wicked man” who wishes to do us harm. Solomon writes about his mouth, eyes, feet and fingers—all of which are used to communicate false and malicious messages to harm another person. Look for a moment at his words; his speech is “crooked," which shows that he says one thing but means another, or he will outright lie to get what he wants. He “winks with his eyes,” “signals with his feet,” and “points with his finger.” It is not known whether these were signals done secretly or were open accusations, but what is clear is the evil intent behind them. He is “continually sowing discord,” because he has a “perverted heart.” Such a person leaves pain, suffering, and innumerable problems in his wake. Men and women are scarred by his deceit and cry out for justice against him. The Bible reminds us that there will be justice for him, and it will be swift and unexpected: “therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.” God is the sovereign judge over the entire earth, and there are times, after persistent pleadings by God, when He says, “Enough!” He will then either judge the person directly, or allow them to be given over to the circumstances they have created. In other words, He may let such a person fall into the hands of those whom he has deceived. Whatever the case, calamity will come and it will be inevitable.

How are we as New Testament believers to react to such words? While they may seem difficult for us, they are nevertheless true. God may judge people directly, give them over to the circumstances they have created, or He may delay justice until eternity. We all know of individuals who have led worthless lives and not experienced calamity as of yet. We must remember, however, that justice delayed doesn’t mean justice denied, and justice will come.

Our prayer must be that God would “grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth”—2 Timothy 2:25. And what is the truth? That Jesus Christ died for sinners. God’s perfect justice was meted out on Jesus when He was on the cross. We are all sinners, without exception, and if we are honest with ourselves, we can admit that we have been the “worthless man” in the Proverb at one time or another. We were God’s enemies (Romans 5:10), children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3), and followers of Satan (Ephesians 2:2). We deserved God’s judgment and punishment by continually sinning in His face. But God did the unimaginable by showing His love for us in that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”—Romans 5:8.

Jesus died for you to make you God's child. He paid the price for your sin, took the wrath that you deserved, and gave you His righteousness. Do you know Him? Have you placed your faith in Him? If you haven’t, do it today! God’s word is clear: “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation”—2 Corinthians 6:2.

Ask God to save you and He will! It doesn’t matter if you have been saved for a short or long time; praise Him for His wonderful life-changing, conscience-cleansing, soul-satisfying grace! Amen.