“Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge; but he that hateth reproof is butish.” Prov. 12:1
Today’s Christian daily devotional
In my younger years, whenever my mother was in a pinch, she would hesitatingly leave us with our favorite babysitter.
One would never consider Doug a “professional”. He took the responsibility of being our caretaker as seriously as he took his studies—and Doug was the only high school dropout on our block.
On those rare occasions when our mom would drop us off, Mrs. K. would answer the door and calmly assure my mother that we were in good hands. The contrast between the look of fear on my mom’s face and the expression of relief on Mrs. K’s face was comical. I believe she was just thrilled that her son was actually “doing something”, for he was infamous for doing nothing.
When Mrs. K. went off to do her own thing, the scent of Virginia Slims mixed with her heavy perfume hung in the air even after she left. My brother and I were always thrilled to be dropped of into this strange world called Doug’s house. It was far more interesting and dramatic than our own.
The fact that Doug would let us watch whatever we wanted without any restrictions was enough to keep my brother and I thrilled and occupied for however long our mother decided to take.
Sometimes, Doug would get restless enough to invite some of his friends over. My brother and I would watch them steal Mrs. K’s Virginia Slims and smoke them on the back porch.
On special occasions, he would take us out on mini “adventures” in the back alleys of our neighborhood. Somehow, when we were trailing behind him, we saw our familiar streets in a whole new light. Doug would blow up people’s mailboxes with cherry bombs, smash eggs on cars in the Chicago heat and snatch newspapers off of the lawns just to toss them in the trash. We watched and giggled in sheer delight.
It was exciting to be the middle of the live entertainment Doug would always bring with him. A day with Doug sure beat television. In our eyes, he was a rock star.
After my mom saw a police officer pull out of Doug’s driveway, our adventures in babysitting were over.
Prov. 12:1 is a verse that seems easy and obvious in it’s truth; but when applied to real life, it can be a challenge.
Many people look at life as one big adventure with an endless array of opportunities. They forget to keep in mind that those opportunities also can be a chance for repercussions as well.
Doug never thought ahead of the moment. It never occurred to him what the trouble he caused would cost him later on. He did what he felt like doing in that moment, and as we grew older, we watched him decline into a world of drug addiction and numerous visits back and forth to prison.
Life has many exciting opportunities that are a great temptation in the moment. But if we listen to wisdom, and think beyond the moment, we will be enriched with a life that has a chance for a good future. Gambling with your life is never a risk that is worth it in the end.
“Dear Heavenly Father,
I have gambled my life away. I have done many senseless things because they felt good in that moment.
Those choices have cost me in every way, time, money, stress, relationships and even intimacy with you. I realize that I harbored bitterness at you for the repercussions of the very choices that I have made. What kind of fool blames God for the mess he has made of his own life? That fool was I. Not anymore, Lord. I repent. I turn from being a fool and look into the eyes of your mercy. Show me your ways. Lead me into the wisdom that will give me the life that you always had planned for me. I got off-tract for a while, but I am back on the right path.
I choose your way. In Jesus’ precious name, I pray over my future steps that I will continue to keep moving forward, never looking back. Amen.”
Thank you for reading today’s daily devotional.
Please check back and see what we have for you tomorrow!
Author: Julia Shalom Jordan