PROVERBS 17: CONSIDER THE CONSEQUENCES

The enemy has a way of making evil alluring, tempting, and appealing. Temptation never focuses on a future outcome but lives for the moment, urging people to pursue instant gratification. Satan is the great deceiver; he is very crafty, and we must be on our guard concerning him and his lies. He continually bombards our minds with lies and foolish, useless thoughts that demand our attention and try to wear down our defenses against those lies. Every action eventually has a corresponding outcome, and the foolish act without giving thoughts to ultimate consequences. The wise, however, keep the end results of their behavior in mind.

Moral deficiency describes foolishness, and foolish people have no interest in obeying God, generally speaking. Or they may be partially committed to God, but not committed to Him wholeheartedly, as He desires us to be. They imagine they can live as fools and still have a blessed life, but that is impossible.

We make a big mistake if we think that temptation attacks only those who are already sinning. If they should repent of their sin and try to do what is right, Proverbs 9:15 says that folly calls to those who are making their paths straight. Foolishness does not want people to walk a straight or narrow path, and the devil hates and tries to hinder any kind of progress in the right direction. Satan does all he can to keep us from loving, obeying, and serving God.

After 45 years of diligently studying God’s Word, I can say that the main lesson I see over and over has never changed: If we do as God instructs, we will live a blessed and enjoyable life, but if we disobey Him, we experience misery of every kind.