Day 300

Jeremiah 51:1-53; Titus 2:1-15; Psalm 99:1-9; Proverbs 26:17

HAVE YOU EVER observed or been in a relationship with a person who seems to insert themselves into every conflict they encounter? These folks usually possess an opinion about nearly everything, and they have no problem sharing it, whether or not they’ve been invited.

If you’ve been on the receiving end of an unwanted intrusion into your business by this type of person, then you’ve probably also unsuccessfully fought the urge to snap at the meddler and put them in their place.

In our reading from Proverbs today, we were told that “Interfering in someone else’s argument is as foolish as yanking a dog’s ears” (Proverbs 26:17). Many of us are dog lovers and have spent our lives in their company. Whether we’re friendly with dogs or not, we all know that they have personalities and temperaments. We can play with them and they will play without biting us —even if our hands are in their mouths and they are growling. However, if we creep up on them and grab their ears unexpectedly, our furry friends are likely to snap at us in earnest. If we’ve been meddlers ourselves in the past, then our personal experience and the wisdom of Proverbs reveals that this behavior will only continue to get us snapped at and bitten.

In our reading from Paul’s letter to Titus, we find an alternative posture:

We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.

Paul’s words encourage us to live with hope for the future beyond our present circumstances and insecurities. We hope for God’s Kingdom to be on earth as it is in heaven. This posture effectively gives us purpose and orientation —a choice far superior than meddling.

If we feel the pull to involve ourselves in the conflicts of others, we should pause and ask, “How will inserting myself into this affect my relationship with God? How will it affect God’s Kingdom to which I have devoted myself?” If we can find no redeeming value or clear prompting from the Holy Spirit, we should probably not meddle. We may be involving ourselves where we do not belong, which will only get us snapped at. Let’s check our own motives before we get involved, and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal whether we are being self-serving or Kingdom building.

MEDITATION:

But the God of Israel is no idol! He is the Creator of everything that exists, including his people, his own special possession. The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is his name!