Proverbs 26:7 Tied In Knots

Is there anything more frustrating that being unable to free yourself? Partnering with a ‘fool’ can have you tied in knots and completely ineffective.

I want to take a moment before we get going to give a praise report and tell how I ALMOST missed it all together. In our time together yesterday, I shared something that my husband does that irritates me. As I was closing our time together, as always, I offered a prayer for what I’m dealing with in my own life. I asked to understand “why” my husband does this irritating thing (asking “Really” after I tell him something).

Before the night was even gone, my mother texted me about this issue. She told me to answer my husband’s “really with “Really!” I stated that I had tried that but it didn’t change his behavior either. Then she shared with me that she also responds “Really” when someone tells her something. “I’m not questioning their credibility. It’s mainly the same, to me, as saying, oh wow.” She also advised me that one of the secrets to a successful marriage is not letting the non-life-threatening things tear you apart. “I consciously let it go.”

I responded with; “So true” and then went about the rest of my evening. In the middle of the night, when my husband woke for his night-time snack, I had an ah-ha moment. I ASKED for the REASON WHY and I RECEIVED it! My earlier “Really” responses were done in frustration, NOT in sharing of the “wow” moment that his were probably meant to reflect. His “Really” isn’t doubt but affirmation of interest in what I am saying!

Thank You Father for sharing this with me! Thank You Holy Spirit for not giving up on getting that message through to my heart.

So, where does that leave us today? We are still dealing with the repercussions of interacting with “fools”. We see how useless and dangerous it is to give honor to one who perpetually acts in the ways of a fool.

Solomon likens honoring a fool to tying a rock in a slingshot. At first reading this simply sounded like a useless endeavor. What good is a slingshot going to do when the rock is tied in it and cannot be released? It is almost laughable.

Then I thought about this image a little more. I thought of David and his sling. How that sling was his means of defense as well as his weapon of attack. It was the single physical weapon he possessed when he met Goliath on the field of battle. And he was DEADLY ACCURATE with it. He had proven himself in battle with it before.

If David’s stone had been bound to his sling, Israel would have been lost. Saul putting his armor on David before sending him into battle was just as dangerous. Without the right tools in their best operating conditions, the battle is lost.

Allying yourself with one who is foolish, honoring him/her with your loyalty, is just as deadly. Know those to whom you bind yourself. Don’t let their ways become your downfall. When circumstances require you to interact with such a person, ask God to watch over you. And speak wisdom into the situation when you can. Make SURE you ‘untie the stone’.

Father God, THANK YOU for answering my prayers! I can’t believe I almost missed Your voice. Thank You for being persistent and consistent in my life.

Help me Father have open eyes in the area of who to ‘align’ my life with. There are those whom I should stay far from. Make this clear to me and help me step back if I’m already entangled. I know of one whom I have concerns about but haven’t found a way to extricate myself yet. I need YOUR wisdom to know if I am reading things that aren’t there or if I should try harder to break all ties. In the meantime, Father, watch over me in all I’m involved in. Give me YOUR wisdom in the latest issue I’ve been drawn into.