Watch For Signs

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"A prudent man sees evil and hides himself, The naive proceed and pay the penalty." - Prov. 27:12 (NASB)

   We have all seen warning signs. Perhaps not like the one pictured here, but most of us have seen signs related to traffic accidents, high water, downed power lines, or others like them. Sometimes the signs are not as obvious, such as strange noises coming from the car engine, a teenage son or daughter repeatedly getting into trouble at school., or a cough that will not go away. Regardless what the particular sign may be, they serve a purpose: they warn us of some potential problem that lies ahead. What we do concerning these signs is of the utmost importance.

   Solomon tells us that it is the prudent man that sees the evil. Living as a child of God demands some foresight on our part. We live in a world of depravity and evil, so it is understandable that we encounter these in our daily adventures. However, just because evil is present in this world does not mean that we must always subject ourselves to it. In many cases we can avoid evil just by altering our course. We have all, at one time or another, blamed our behavior on others, on our circumstances, and (my personal favorite) on the devil himself. But, and I have stated this many times, most of us do not need help from others or the devil, for we have a gift for getting into enough trouble on our own. This is where some spiritual foresight is necessary. We must be both mindful and watchful for those things which would bring destruction into our minds, hearts, spirits, and lives, and those of our family. Jesus told His disciples that they were to be as wise as serpents but as gentle as doves. (Matt. 10:16) However, seeing the trouble ahead is not good enough, we must act on the warning signs we see. Notice how Solomon contrasts to the prudent and the naive. Whereas the prudent sees evil and hides himself or keeps himself from it, the naive go forward into it and suffer. According to Solomon, both see the evil ahead, but the prudent act on what they see rather than ignore it and press forward. Simply put, those who are not mindful of dangerous ground will ultimately find themselves camping on it.  

   Keeping our spiritual eyes open and acting on some good spiritual intelligence will keep us from many troubles. May The LORD give each of us the "eyes of the prudent" and save ourselves much misery.

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