PROVERBS 22
19 That your trust may be in the Lord,
I have made them known to you today, even to you.
20 Have I not written for you thirty sayings of counsel and knowledge,
21 to make you know what is right and true,
that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?
22 Do not rob the poor, because he is poor or crush the afflicted at the gate,
23 for the Lord will plead their cause and rob of life those who rob them.
24 Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man,
25 lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare. – Proverbs 22:10-25
PROVERBS 22 AVOID THE WRATHFUL MAN
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
Choose your friends carefully by testing if they are guided by truth
God sets apart his people from unbelievers and lies of this world
The world focuses on self-seeking desires, pleasures and longings
It is different from what is right which centers on God-pleasing
The people of God don’t make a habit of fighting and quarreling
They are guided by the Spirit to live in humility and self-control
Avoid a wrathful man at all cost so you will be free from traps
Or you’ll be bondage to sins of self importance and pride.
These following Proverbs cover trusting the Lord and seeking his counsel and knowledge so that we may recognize what is right and true. But it is important for us to remember that we cannot obtain the wisdom of God without the fear of the Lord which is mentioned in Proverbs 9:10. Without the fear of the Lord, we will not get insight that comes from God’s absolute truth. The world’s knowledge is not wisdom. Many people interchange the wisdom of God with man’s knowledge. They are two different things. Because we are human beings, our knowledge is limited understanding while God’s wisdom oversees all things because he is the author of creation. He has infinite knowledge which we do not possess as humans. So, if we don’t acknowledge God or believe in him, it is impossible for any human being to have the wisdom that only comes from him. Thankfully, we are all so blessed to have access to the word of God. Through Scripture, we learn the truth and if we allow it to guide and give us direction on how to navigate this corrupt world, we can obey it and stay faithful to our Maker.
Let’s focus on the other part of these sayings which has to do with avoiding a wrathful man at all cost so you will be free from the traps that he himself has been stuck in. Verse 24 commands us not to have friendships with angry people, not just for our physical and emotional safety but more for the spiritual threat it poses on our hearts, minds and spirits. When we get close to these people even if we are very mature in our faith, we can still fall into the snares of the devil and open doors for us to learn their ways.
REFLECTION
· Share some experiences why we need to avoid being friends with angry people.
