Daily Devotions
The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it. Proverbs 27:12
The Rocky Mountain parks in Canada are famous for their beauty, but some who visit Banff or Jasper, Alberta, learn the hard way that some very real dangers hide in all that mountain beauty.
For example, most years a few tourists are mauled by grizzly bears and some die. Prudent visitors know that all wild animals are unpredictable and can be dangerously aggressive, no matter how innocent they seem. God reminds us in Proverbs 27:12 that “the prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.”
God’s concern is about more than just the dangers of wildlife; He is concerned about the aggressiveness of sin. Too often we step into very dangerous territory completely unaware that what looks innocent is actually quite deadly. The best thing to do when you encounter sin and temptation is to get out of harm’s way. How? With boldness! God’s Word speaks to us boldly—concealing nothing and passing over nothing—so we can recognize the danger of sin when we see it. On this first day of Advent, we focus on the reason God needed to take the bold action of sending His Son. May the Holy Spirit make you prudent as He brings you into the refuge of God’s grace in Jesus Christ!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I do not always see the dangers of the sin in my life. This Advent season, reach out boldly to me through Your Word to make me aware of that danger. Comfort me with Your forgiveness as I repent of that sin in Jesus’ name. Amen.
My Bold Action for Today: Note the particular sin you are most likely to explain away as being harmless. What has Jesus done to rescue you from slavery to that sin?
Rev. Roland Kubke