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Daily Devotion: Proverbs 1:15-18

Proverbs 1:15-18     "My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:  (16)  For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.  (17)  Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.  (18)  And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives."

Does life ever seem complicated to you? It does to me, at times. Have you ever thought about why it seems that way? I think we do it to ourselves. I think we have added so much to living our lives that we do not have much time to really live as God intended for us to conduct our lives. We put so much into each day that we sometimes crowd out the most important thing. It's always been that way. Adam and Eve had everything, but they wanted one more thing in their life and it cost them dearly. Man added so much to the law of God that it probably did not resemble the original. We always want more, more, more.

We see a very simple statement given in this first chapter of Proverbs that, if heeded, would save us a lot of problems and heartaches in life: "Just Don't Do It."  If we are enticed to sin, "just don't do it." If we are enticed to hurt someone else, "just don't do it." If we are enticed to talk about someone else in a negative way, "Just don't do it." If we are enticed to take something that isn't ours, "just don't do it." It's pretty simple; yet, it seems so difficult to follow.  Following this rule would save a lot of heartache and hurt to others and to ourselves . God inspired the Apostle Paul to bring the law down to its bare necessity: "Love thy neighbor as thyself."  Why do we have to complicate it? Yes, I know it is the fallen nature that we all must contend with. But God has given us the way to avoid unnecessary struggles. When it comes to sin, just don't do it. As we go further into the book, God will show us how to live a proper life.

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