I wrote this for you today ⚜️

When someone asks me how to decide what is right and wrong, I always tell them that if they are trying to justify their behaviour to themselves then it probably is wrong. ⚜️

I cannot claim that anyone has sinned, just as no one can claim that I have sinned; only God can do this. ⚜️

What I can do is examine my motivation when deciding if what I want to do is the right thing or not. ⚜️

Throughout the Old Testament, God let the Israelites know that sacrifices without justice were not acceptable to him. ⚜️

They just couldn’t see that neglecting the poor and cheating them was so against God’s will, that their sacrifices were just window dressing to their true lack of fidelity. ⚜️

We know that pride is one of the deadliest of sins. ⚜️

It leads to so many other sins because pride can make us think that we are better than most and therefore deserve more. ⚜️

Some whose problem is pride can also think that they are above the law and act accordingly. ⚜️

The last of the proverbs in this passage tells us what we know; that hard work will eventually give us what we need but that when we try to rush, we usually make mistakes. ⚜️

This can happen in our work and it can happen in relationships. ⚜️

When we take our time, we are less apt to make mistakes. ⚜️

I have been known to try and put something together without looking at the directions, so I know what I’m talking about.⚜️

And also with people, a rush to judgment can lead us to either place our trust in the wrong person or cause us to bypass one who might become a good friend. ⚜️

Let’s give this passage another look.⚜️