Digging yourself out of a hole

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Proverbs 26:27 (ESV)

Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.

Back in King Solomon’s day, the purpose of digging a pit was for hunters to catch their prey. In military contexts, soldiers dug a pit to trap their enemies and they rolled rocks up a hill, only to use it for hurting their enemy when they walked by the hill. So what exactly is Solomon trying to say in this proverb?

A hunter trying to catch an animal might end up falling in his own pit. The rock that was intended for your enemy might roll back on you. The idea is that you should be careful about your actions toward others. Your intended actions toward someone you want to hurt will end up hurting you. Getting back at someone might be costly, because it could end up hurting you instead.

What goes around comes around. You reap what you sow. Wicked and evil people devise traps and trouble for the innocent and righteous. However, these victims are told to love their enemies in return. When we try to respond to hurt with more hurt, it turns into an endless cycle of punishment. We should use the love of God to do good to those around us, instead of resorting to violence or hurtful words. Let’s love one another and lift each other up instead of bringing each other down. Your actions toward others must show the love of Christ rather than pursuing your own selfish desires.

This week, pray about how you can ask God for help with our burdens. Meditate on the fact that we should love those around us, even if they intend to hurt us. Only then will people truly see the love of God in our lives.

July 22, 2019