Thought from today’s Bible reading from Proverbs 25-26.
“Like a city that is broken into and without walls is a man who has no control over his spirit” (Proverbs 25:28).
Building walls around a city was a “great and extensive” work (Nehemiah 4:19). So why is it that so much time, effort, and resources would be used to construct these walls? It is because the walls had a very practical and necessary purpose. They were to help protect the city in the event of an attack.
Understanding the purpose of the city walls is essential to understanding this proverb from Solomon. One who cannot control himself if vulnerable.
There are many different kinds of attacks that can be levied against us: insults, mockery, gossip, false accusations, questioning motives, etc. The point of all of these attacks is to draw us into sin by becoming angry, retaliating, joining in the gossip, questioning others’ motives, or by making our own false accusations. If we do not have self-control, we will be like the city without walls. Rather than repelling the attacks, we become destroyed by them.
Attacks are going to come. We must learn to control our emotions so that we can repel these attacks rather than get drawn into sin.
Tomorrow’s reading: Proverbs 27-29
[I’m using the Chronological reading plan on the Bible Gateway website if you’d like to follow along, too.]
Daily Notes & Observations contains all 365 articles from this series and is available in paperback from Gospel Armory.
