When You Follow God's Instruction

Occasionally you read a verse or passage in the Bible and it sounds as if it was written specifically for our time. Such is the case with Proverbs 28:4.

Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,

But those who keep the law strive with them.

We live in a day in which many praise the wicked!

In striking contrast, those who follow God’s instruction “strive with them.”

It is worth noting that this is an observation, not a command. In other words, Solomon is not telling his readers to start a fight with those who do not follow God’s instruction. Rather, it is a natural outcome that those who follow God’s instruction will strive with those who do not.

The young Jewish men Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego provide an excellent example. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had taken them to Babylon to serve in his court. After erecting a large statue in honor of himself, the king ordered everyone present (all the nobles and other ranking individuals) to bow to the statue when music was played. The three Jewish men were present but did not bow. The king gave them a second chance but they told the king that there was no need because they would not bow.

These three young men were devoted to God. They kept the Law of Moses which forbade them bow to anyone or anything other than God. They did not intend to be disrespectful, yet they were striving with the pagan king because they kept God's instruction. That was simply the nature of their obedience.

There are times when a follower of God intentionally strives with someone who has sinned, such as, a brother in Christ. Even then, Jesus taught that the objective is to restore the brother. So, the one doing wrong is to be approached with gentleness and in a spirit of love. (See Matthew 18:15-17.)

Solomon provided rich wisdom concerning our interaction with fools:

Do not answer a fool according to his folly 

   or you will be like him.

Answer a fool as his folly deserves, 

   that he not be wise in his own eyes. 

--Proverbs 26:4 & 5

The simple point is that a follower of God must be wise in his interaction with those who do not follow. There is a time to speak up and there is a time to remain silent. Wisdom dictates the response.

Ultimately, however, as a follower of God, whether you speak up or remain silent, you will at some time find yourself striving with those who do not follow God’s instruction. Again, that is simply how life works.

Beyond the simple observation of Solomon, this proverb (28:4)may also be taken as a mild warning. After all, people tend to desire to fit in. So, when you do not fit in because you live by God’s instruction, you will undoubtedly appear to be out of synch with society. That may not seem threatening when it is read as words on paper. However, the experience of being on the outside among coworkers, your friend group, family, or society in general adds considerable pressure in one’s life. Jesus noted that some believers fall away “when affliction or persecution arises because of the word.” If we are serious about following God’s instruction, we must prepare our minds..

Finally, Paul reminded us, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” (Romans 12:18) Even so, you must be mindful that by following God’s instruction you will naturally strive with those who do not. For that reason, make it your soul’s decision to remain faithful to God’s instruction at all costs. Your allegiance to Jesus must not be compromised.

Mark Stinnett

December 28, 2025

Wealth or Relationships?

     Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it
     Than a house full of feasting with strife.
     --Proverbs 17:1

When we read the word ‘better’ we automatically recognize that one thing is more beneficial than another. The reader is given a comparison of the value of two things. A choice is presented.

Without knowing specific circumstances, one might reason that it is not really a sin to be in a house full of feasting with strife, but it is NOT better. The word ‘strife’ in this verse indicates complaining, arguing, and even fighting (probably verbally). So, there is nothing ‘wrong’ with a house of feasting (with strife). Of course, the strife part is not good.

We might be tempted to continue meandering around the words until we eventually wash out the meaning of the proverb. Let’s be reasonable; what do you think God expected us to learn by reading this proverb? What kind of response do you think He expects?

The ‘dry morsel’ and ‘feasting’ are contrasting terms that represent a measure of wealth. ‘Quietness’ and ‘strife’ describe human interaction. How often do we think about there being a relationship between wealth and human interaction?

Surely it is better to have plenty of food instead of going hungry. Feasting is better than starving. However, that is not an absolute truth; there are circumstances that might change the way we look at wealth. Solomon advises that if you are placed in circumstances in which you must choose between wealth and peace in human relationships, choose peace.

One might conclude that, in general...

The way you manage your relationships

IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN 

The way you manage your money!

Manage wisely!
Invest in friends and family.
Invest in people.

(As we approach the upcoming whirlwind of holiday fun, feasting and festivities, we would do well to remember that our relationships with friends and family and fellow believers are more important than finances and gifts.)

The Seventh

   There are six things which the LORD hates, 
   Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him....
   --Proverbs 6:16

This verse introduces a list of seven things that the Lord hates. We should perk up and give attention to this list. If God ‘hates’ a specific action, we should avoid it at all cost. If God ‘hates’ a specific kind of person, we should do everything within our power to keep from becoming that kind of person.

Abomination...
'Abomination' is stronger than 'hate.'
Question: Is the use of the word hate followed by abomination simply a poetic device or is there something more?

If the ‘number’ had not changed, that would be an easy explanation. But the number did change, from six to seven: Six things hated, seven an abomination.

   There are six things which the LORD hates, 
   Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:
      Haughty eyes,
      A lying tongue,
      And hands that shed innocent blood,
      A heart that devises wicked plans,
      Feet that run rapidly to evil,
      A false witness who utters lies,
      And one who spreads strife among brothers.
                                                               --Proverbs 6:16-19


Recent Hebrew scholarship suggests that the change in number, from six to seven, along with the more intense wording (abomination) in the second half of verse sixteen is a way of emphasizing the last item in the list. Accepting this idea, the overall sense of the verse would be:

   There are six things which the Lord hates, 
   but a seventh is an abomination to Him.

So, the seventh item in the list stands out as something that is hated by God above all the other things that He hates. We might say that it is at the top of His list of 'Things Hated.'

Read the entire list.
Think about the things that God hates.
Look carefully at the seventh!

Of all the things that God hates; among pride, lying, murder, and an evil heart; more than anything else, a person “who spreads strife among brothers” is an abomination to God.

Do your actions and your speech promote peace and unity among your fellow Christians, or are you promoting something else?

I Probably Shouldn’t Tell You This, But . . .

You’ve heard it, perhaps you’ve said it yourself: “I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but . . . .”

The person who begins a sentence with this phrase usually glances quickly to the left, then to the right. (They must be checking to see if anyone might “see” what they are about to say.) It is an obvious signal that they want to conceal what they are about to do. They don’t want to get caught...because...there is no ‘probably’ about it. They should not tell, and they know it.

However, the abundance of listening ears tempts the whisperer. So, the whisperer tells things that should not be told.

It really doesn’t matter who already knows. It doesn’t matter that names aren’t used. It doesn’t matter that the listener is considered a friend or thought to be trustworthy. Both the whisperer and the one who listens to the whisperer are guilty of gossip.

___________

Have you ever watched a bully on a playground? He is quite different than the whisperer. He struts around as if untouchable. He barges ahead without watching where he is going. He puffs out his chest and threatens others. He usually starts his fight with words, but he really wants to use his fists.

The actions of the bully are unacceptable, but at least he is honest and open with his intentions...not the whisperer.

Regardless of her intentions the whisperer causes strife and contention among others, just like the bully. Yet, her approach is subtle. Off to the side, over in a corner, by phone, over mid-morning coffee, she masks her gossip with quiet whispers.

   For lack of wood the fire goes out, 
   And where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down.
   --Proverbs 26:20

Do you know how to deal with a whisperer?

When you hear the signal, “I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but...” interrupt!

Rudely interrupt with kind agreement, “You are so right!”

The fire goes out...
Enough said.