Good Question - Day 17
Day 17: Tuesday, May 9
Read Proverbs 24-25
Highlight
Proverbs 24:17-18 “Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, or the Lord will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him.” Here we are told not to celebrate the misfortune of our enemies even in our hearts. This isn’t only about outward gloating, but even in our inmost places we are not to celebrate the pain of others. Everyone we meet is made in the image of God and we ought not take that lightly. In addition, we all deserve the judgment of our righteous God, so we ought not take that lightly either. Holding both of those things in balance will help us to extend the grace to others that we so desperately need ourselves.
Proverbs 25:21 “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.”
Sometimes it is good to remind ourselves that the grace and forgiveness of the New Testament can be found in the Old Testament as well. This proverb forms the foundation of Paul’s teaching about loving our enemies in Romans 12:20. In both verses the “burning coals” created through extending grace are not about punishment. The purpose is repentance, not punishment. Remember the point of the proverb in chapter 24 we just looked at: we are not meant to rejoice in the suffering of someone else, even if in our view they deserve it. God wants all to come to repentance and so should we.
Reflection & Prayer
For this reading plan we will be using a tool to guide our study of Scripture that’s called the S.O.A.P. Method. It stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. We recommend you use a journal with this method and write out your thoughts on each of these areas for each day of reading. It doesn’t have to be long-winded and you don’t need a fancy journal. But for anyone that has not journaled before, the benefit is that it often helps us focus and avoid distractions during prayer and Bible study.
S.O.A.P. Method
Scripture - Pick a verse or two that stood out to you and write it in your journal. Be looking for a “Holy Spirit Highlight.” What did you read and think “I needed to hear that” or felt like it was written just for you?
Observation - Now write some observations about the verse(s) or passage. What is this passage or verse saying? About God? About people? How is Jesus revealed in these verses?
Application - Now write a few sentences on how this passage applies to your life. Is there truth about God that you are to believe? A promise to receive? Is the Holy Spirit convicting you of something you need to do or stop doing in light of God’s truth?
Prayer - Now write out a prayer to God in response to this Scripture. This is a way to turn God’s Word to you back to Him. Be honest and express your heart to Him. God always listens and He delights in your prayers. (Psalm 34:15; Proverbs 15:8)
Read Proverbs 24-25
Highlight
Proverbs 24:17-18 “Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, or the Lord will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him.” Here we are told not to celebrate the misfortune of our enemies even in our hearts. This isn’t only about outward gloating, but even in our inmost places we are not to celebrate the pain of others. Everyone we meet is made in the image of God and we ought not take that lightly. In addition, we all deserve the judgment of our righteous God, so we ought not take that lightly either. Holding both of those things in balance will help us to extend the grace to others that we so desperately need ourselves.
Proverbs 25:21 “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.”
Sometimes it is good to remind ourselves that the grace and forgiveness of the New Testament can be found in the Old Testament as well. This proverb forms the foundation of Paul’s teaching about loving our enemies in Romans 12:20. In both verses the “burning coals” created through extending grace are not about punishment. The purpose is repentance, not punishment. Remember the point of the proverb in chapter 24 we just looked at: we are not meant to rejoice in the suffering of someone else, even if in our view they deserve it. God wants all to come to repentance and so should we.
Reflection & Prayer
For this reading plan we will be using a tool to guide our study of Scripture that’s called the S.O.A.P. Method. It stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. We recommend you use a journal with this method and write out your thoughts on each of these areas for each day of reading. It doesn’t have to be long-winded and you don’t need a fancy journal. But for anyone that has not journaled before, the benefit is that it often helps us focus and avoid distractions during prayer and Bible study.
S.O.A.P. Method
Scripture - Pick a verse or two that stood out to you and write it in your journal. Be looking for a “Holy Spirit Highlight.” What did you read and think “I needed to hear that” or felt like it was written just for you?
Observation - Now write some observations about the verse(s) or passage. What is this passage or verse saying? About God? About people? How is Jesus revealed in these verses?
Application - Now write a few sentences on how this passage applies to your life. Is there truth about God that you are to believe? A promise to receive? Is the Holy Spirit convicting you of something you need to do or stop doing in light of God’s truth?
Prayer - Now write out a prayer to God in response to this Scripture. This is a way to turn God’s Word to you back to Him. Be honest and express your heart to Him. God always listens and He delights in your prayers. (Psalm 34:15; Proverbs 15:8)
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