Gold Nugget
Verse: “To do evil is like sport to a fool, but a man of understanding has wisdom.”
Commentary
As a minister, I take great interest in human
behaviors. I recently watched a television program about troubled youth in gangs.
Of the violent and destructive behavior I witnessed in this documentary, the most
disturbing and bone chilling was the reaction of the perpetrators to their own
crimes. What I cannot understand of all the crimes against humanity is when these
gangs are just strolling along and then jump on an innocent person with nothing
other to gain, but the pleasure of watching them suffer. The abusers are
bouncing around, laughing, smiling into the camera and encouraging each other
to up the abuse. You just want to jump through the TV and rescue the person.
These people are like today’s “gold nugget”, “To do evil is like sport to a fool, but a man of understanding has
wisdom.” They actually
take sport in their evil behavior. I can’t understand taking pleasure in this
evil thing... or can I? When we paint a picture like the true story above, we
look with disgust at those with such disregard for moral fiber. Its one thing
to sin, but hopefully sin will bring shame and you will rot with guilt until
you cannot stand it any longer and repent. Just so you know; God sees everything
we do just as easily as I witnessed those events from my easy chair. He watches
us in our lives and is stricken with hurt and pain as He sees us continuing in
sin and even taking sport in it. Surely He wonders how we can behave the way we
do and smile into the camera. He sees the married man that is pursuing another
woman and maybe even catches her and sins with pleasure and excitement. He sees
the woman being caught by him and then pleasure in the catch. He also sees the
wife at home with the kids, crying knowing that her marriage is a sham. I’m
sure He wants to jump through the TV and rescue her and those kids. Sometimes
He does and sometimes He allows the man space to repent. He sees the woman that
has no regard for the sacrifices her husband makes and treats him like a subordinate
with complaints and degrading behavior. He sees the parents that have trained
their children to pursue anything in life more than pursuing the One that
ensures them escape from eternal destruction. He sees the______ …you fill in
the blank. Whatever it is in your life that you know is not pleasing to God; it’s
time to stop taking pleasure in it. Stop smiling into the camera and start repenting
of our sins.
Prayer
Lord, some of the things that I allow in my life would not be as offensive to me as it is to you an observer. I don’t want to think of my shameful deeds as all that horrible. Help me to abandon my moral threshold and adopt yours. My righteousness is as filthy rags. I want to be clothed in yours. Amen
Lord, some of the things that I allow in my life would not be as offensive to me as it is to you an observer. I don’t want to think of my shameful deeds as all that horrible. Help me to abandon my moral threshold and adopt yours. My righteousness is as filthy rags. I want to be clothed in yours. Amen
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