I. Prayer to enter the Lord’s presence:
Be still for a moment. “Lord, I give the day that is now past to you. It is yours. I give the day that is to come to you; help me to see where you are working and to join you there. Speak to me during these moments. I commit them and myself to you.”
II. Prayer of Confession:
“Lord, you are faithful to forgive me and cleanse me of my sin when I confess it to you. I confess my sin(s) of ______________. Thank you for forgiveness.” (1 John 1:9)
III. Prayer of Thanksgiving:
Choose to be thankful, speak out loud of what God has done.
“Thank you, Father, for _________________. Fill my heart and my mouth with gratitude throughout this day.”
IV. Scripture Reflection
Read: Proverbs Chapter 26
Reflect:
Proverbs 26:17
17 Interfering in someone else’s argument
is as foolish as yanking a dog’s ears.
Sticking our nose in somebody else’s argument is a pretty foolish thing to do. This proverb warns us of the danger, it says it’s just like yanking on a dog’s ear—do it, and you’re gonna get bit! To get the full picture, one needs to understand that this isn’t some domesticated dog, it’s a stray dog, something akin to a jackal, wolf, or a coyote –that’s the canine described here. Now let me ask, “Would you grab the ear of a coyote or a wolf?” You don’t have to answer! It’s obvious, that would be a stupid thing to do!
The warning to us is this: it’s stupid for us to get involved with someone else’s argument. If we let ourselves get involved, we’re just going to get hurt. So, if it’s so clearly stupid, who would be that stupid? Well—me! When I was a young man, I got involved in a dispute that I had no business getting involved with. I literally was just passing by these two individuals, and the next thing I know, I’m sucked into an argument that quickly escalated to the point of exchanging blows! I don’t know if I thought I was going to be a hero or something, but I should have just kept my mouth shut and let the management handle the situation. Honestly, I don’t even know which side was telling the truth! But the one thing I do know is this—I got “bit!” I ended up getting locked up for the evening in the county jail for disorderly conduct. To add insult to injury to the scrapes and bruises I had, I had to use Patty’s money to pay my fine, or I’d end up staying locked up. The whole thing was a humiliating experience that came about because I got involved in someone else’s heated argument that I had no business getting involved with.
How much better it would have been had I heeded Paul’s advice to Timothy when he urged him to refuse to get caught up in stupid arguments which only produce quarreling (2 Tim. 2:23-24).
Respond:
Walk the path of wisdom, avoid getting involved in other’s arguments. There are plenty of fools out there, so lets you and I determine not to add to their numbers.
V. Prayer for others:
Pray specifically for the concerns of your life and the lives of others.
VI. Prayer of commitment:
“Lord God, I commit to love you with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my strength and with all my mind and to love my neighbor as myself. Empower me today to love you and others with everything that I am.” (Luke 10:27)
This Week’s Scripture Memory:
Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech: “How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?