After considering the value of wisdom, the rewards of wisdom, and the deliverance from evil that wisdom provides, we will next consider the perils of wickedness to further reinforce what we have already learned: embracing and following the wisdom that comes from above is for our good.
The perils of wickedness can be divided into three categories: hardship in life, lack of hope for the future, and the inevitability of judgment.
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Thought from today’s Bible reading from Genesis 12-15.
After Lot departed from Abram, he journeyed toward the valley of the Jordan and settled in Sodom (Genesis 13:11-12). When war broke out between the king of Sodom and his allies against Chedorlaomer and his allies, the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah were killed, their cities were looted, and Lot was among those taken captive (Genesis 14:10-12).
The report of this came to Abram. He immediately took action.
“When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan” (Genesis 14:14).
Lot’s capture which required his rescue was not something that could have been expected. But Abram was ready. He did not have to hire a mercenary force to pursue the army that took Lot. He had three hundred and eighteen men who were capable of fighting. He did not have to hastily train these men for battle. They were already trained.
The lesson for us to learn from Abram is that we should, as much as is possible, make preparations for the future. We can never be sure what tomorrow will hold (James 4:14), but we should strive to always be prepared to take care of our most basic responsibilities: providing for our own, helping those in need, serving the Lord, combatting sin and error, and teaching the gospel to others.
Use today to start making preparations for tomorrow.
Tomorrow’s reading: Genesis 16-18
[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.
“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.’ But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil” (James 4:13-16).
We often like to plan for the future. It gives us a sense of security knowing what is coming next and working toward a certain goal. But we do not know with certainty what is coming next. Our best plans could be in vain. Many things could happen that are beyond our power to control that can completely change our life.
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What does “propitiation” mean? How is “justification” connected to salvation? What does “sanctification” look like in our day-to-day lives? The Bible uses some powerful words to describe God’s plan to save mankind. However, these words are not always easy to understand, especially when they are not part of our everyday vocabulary. This book explores key Bible terms that unlock the message of the gospel.
Big Words in the Bible examines five important words – Propitiation, Reconciliation, Sanctification, Justification, and Resurrection – using plain language to see how the Scriptures describe these concepts and how the apostle Paul employs them in his letter to the Romans. This book also contains an appendix with eleven additional articles to explore these topics further.
Whether you are new to the Bible and want to grow in your understanding or want a simple way to explain these core gospel doctrines to others, this book will be helpful. With a focus on the Scriptures, Big Words in the Bible helps break down these fundamental topics to shed light on the life-changing message of the gospel and the salvation found in it.
Available in print and digital format.
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