Proverbs 17: 1-28

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool bent on folly." As someone who hikes I find myself in the woods quite frequently. I was taught at a very young age to always be on the lookout for bears, especially mother bears who have been separated from her cubs. Why? Because mother bears are very protective, and if you get between her and her cubs it will not work out too well for you. That is part of what this verse is about. The other part is about not being led astray by people who do not want to do God's will. Those people, should we meet and go along with them, mess us up even more than a mother bear because these people (fools, they're called here) damage the soul. A mother bear, however ferocious she may be, can only harm the body. A fool, though, can harm our soul. Here we see the disparity of the world and faith. We need to focus on being right with God, being healthy spiritually, rather than making sure we are in a good place materialistically. What this verse is really telling us is to look after the soul, not the body. The fool (who will lead us away from God) is far more troublesome than a mother bear (who can only hurt the body). God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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