Proverbs 11:6-12 — Trapped

READ THIS: Proverbs 11:6-12

6 The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires. 7 Hopes placed in mortals die with them; all the promise of their power comes to nothing. 8 The righteous person is rescued from trouble, and it falls on the wicked instead. 9 With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape. 10 When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy. 11 Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed. 12 Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense, but the one who has understanding holds their tongue.

WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY?

Ask yourself this: Who is trapped in these verses and why? Reread the verses thinking that question. 

My take on that question is that the unrighteous are trapped. Being trapped is the worst because you can't get out even if you want to, and most times, you are trapped alone. In these verses, we see that the unrighteous are trapped because of their evil desires, misplaced hope, mean language, and the fact that they are alone with no one rooting for them. 

Have you ever watched a TV show or movie that followed a villain, and you kind of hate the villain but also root for him at the same time? I think of Dan Scott from One Tree Hill or Zuko from the Last Airbender. They both do horrible things and say horrible things, and they both are often left mainly alone without people on their team. However, you pull for both of them because there are glimmers of good. For me, that's how I think about God viewing us when we are the unrighteous people. We are kind of the worst, but God sees Jesus over us. But, if we don't actively pursue Jesus and accept what He has done for us and let that change our lives, we will most likely end up just like the unrighteous people in these verses...alone and destroyed (by our very own doing...)

THINK ABOUT IT:

1. Reread the highlighted words. Those words describe why the unrighteous are trapped. Which of the four reasons is most likely to trap you? How can you fight back?

2. Do you think God views you as an unrighteous person or a righteous person? Why?

 

TRY THIS:

If you want some insight into some thoughts on question two, check out this article that one person wrote on the topic of "What God Really Thinks About You"