Hearts devising wickedness
Proverbs 6:16–19
16 There are six things that the Lord hates,
seven that are an abomination to him:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked plans,
In the mid-90s, the cartoon “Pinky and the Brain” was released and forever seared its catchphrase into my mind.
Pinky would ask: “Gee, Brain, what do you want to do tonight?”
Brain: “The same thing we do every night, Pinky—try to take over the world!”
Being a cartoon, hijinks would ensue, and Brain’s evil plans would fail due to arrogance, lack of oversight, and the downright impossibility of the task. Does that sound familiar?
Too often, our hearts devise wicked plans centered on trying to take over the world, or at least our corner of it. If only I could control the schedule, the narrative, and those around me, then life would be all I want it to be! I would live in the land flowing with milk and honey, to use a biblical analogy.
Constantly, our hearts are developing ways to do evil. We are hatching new plans to increase our power. We are scheming new ways to supplant others. We are brainstorming how to avoid penalties, save face, and succeed at any expense necessary.
That might sound harsh, but is it not true? Is your heart not constantly leading you toward evil?
Does this sound familiar?
How can I make myself look better without technically bragging?
How can I punish this person without looking vindictive?
How can I control this situation without appearing controlling?
How can I tell the story so I look innocent?
How can I get what I want while still appearing generous?
How can I avoid admitting that I was wrong?
Our hearts seek to honor one almighty figure in our lives—ourselves! I am convinced that each and every person, whether a Christian or not, is seeking to develop their own heaven on earth—but sadly, that is a heaven without God.
Final thought: The word devising brings with it connotations of secrecy and quiet. These wicked plans are being conceived secretly and completed secretly. Like a duck seemingly calm on the surface while its legs churn furiously beneath the water, our outward lives can look peaceful while our hearts are scheming underneath. No one else may see the plan forming—but God does.
So today, pay attention to what is happening beneath the surface. What outcome are you quietly trying to manipulate? Whose opinion are you trying to control? What plan are you making that requires someone else to lose so that you can win?
Hands that shed innocent blood
Proverbs 6:16–17
16 There are six things that the Lord hates,
seven that are an abomination to him:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,
From eyes to tongue to hands, Solomon is continuing to show us how we live in ways that upset the Lord. Today, we focus on hands that shed innocent blood. The direct meaning is the violent taking of innocent life. But the principle should also make us ask a smaller, uncomfortable question: Are innocent people being wounded because of my sin?
Where am I harming the innocent?
I am harming the innocent when I snap at my child because of my own failure to regulate my emotions.
I am harming the innocent when I bully my spouse through stubbornness.
I am harming the innocent when I choose to joke coarsely rather than encourage.
I am harming the innocent when I tear down a co-worker in order to exalt myself.
I am harming the innocent when I force someone else to pay for my bad day.
How many people have we left bruised and bloody in the path of our sinfulness and selfishness?
How many times are we blinded by our hurt and ignorant of the damage we are doing to others?
The final fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5 is self-control. This is an antidote for harming the innocent. For too many of us, our impulse control is inadequate, and our anger, frustration, and reactions are too often experienced by others. We must stop blaming our personality, our wiring, and our reactions as things we cannot control. As believers, we should grow in the fruit of self-control through the power of the Holy Spirit.
What innocent person in your path is being harmed due to your lack of self-control?
Who gets the brunt of the mud you sling?
What can you do to apologize for harming the innocent?
Today, don't merely ask God to give you better self-control. Repent of the harm you have caused. Apologize where you need to apologize. Then ask the Holy Spirit to grow in you the self-control that keeps your pain from becoming someone else's wound.
Lying Tongue
Proverbs 6:16–19
16 There are six things that the Lord hates,
seven that are an abomination to him:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked plans,
feet that make haste to run to evil,
19 a false witness who breathes out lies,
and one who sows discord among brothers.
As we will see in this list, God is personalizing the actions He hates by connecting them to the body part we use to commit them. Today, we move from haughty eyes to a lying tongue.
Lying is one of our first sins. As a child, we lie about making our bed, brushing our teeth, eating the cookie, or who hit whom first…. Lying comes naturally because we are naturally ashamed of our sin. Like Adam and Eve in the garden, we seek to cover our failure rather than confess it.
Do you still lie? Some of you may think that lying is a thing of your past, but I question whether that is true.
Sometimes our most convincing lies are the ones we tell ourselves. We call gossip “sharing news.” We call greed “wisdom.” We call sinful behavior “just my personality.”
We may not cheat on our taxes, but we lie to protect feelings, to downplay failures, or to keep approval. A lying tongue is still within us and must be combated.
Often, the root of lying stems from our desire to control an outcome. We don’t want to disappoint others, be embarrassed, or be proven wrong, so we fudge the truth just enough to avoid the consequences.
What truth are you tempted to bend today?
What are you trying to protect—your reputation, your comfort, your approval, your control?
The antidote to lying is confession. Confession is agreeing with God about what He already knows. The way out of a lie is not another lie. It is confession. Tell the truth to God, tell the truth to yourself, and, where necessary, tell the truth to the person you have deceived. Freedom begins when we stop hiding.
Haughty Eyes
7 Things the Lord Hates
Proverbs 6:16–17
16 There are six things that the Lord hates,
seven that are an abomination to him:
17 haughty eyes, …
As we continue to learn wisdom from the ancient book of Proverbs, the Word of God gives us a direct statement that we all should consider: These are the 6/7 things the Lord hates….
At first, I assumed that this may be a restatement of the 10 Commandments denouncing idolatry, coveting, and theft. Instead, I see this list of 6/7 as personalizing the commands we try to keep at arm’s length.
The first is haughty eyes. Haughty is not a word we use often, so I want to make sure we understand what it means. Haughty is to be arrogant, judgmental, and snobbish. It is to judge that I am better than you, more important than you, or deserving of more than you.
Haughtiness has a direct effect on our personal and spiritual lives. First, it causes problems relationally as we no longer see others as image bearers of God whom He loves, but see others as competitors in the game of life. The haughty want to put others down as they elevate themselves.
Haughtiness also has a spiritual component. It is a failure to remember our place in the eyes of God. We are nothing without God making us something. We are doomed without God’s deliverance. We are separated without His salvation. The haughty forget the mercy received and, as a result, fail to show mercy to those around them.
I am reminded this morning of Jesus’ parable of the Unforgiving Servant in Matthew 18:21–35. The man who is forgiven a debt that was impossible to repay then goes and punishes a debtor of his for a paltry sum in comparison.
We are prone to have haughty eyes when we forget our salvation and start to assume we deserve or earn God’s love. We are quick to judge, assume, and demean others for the very things we have been and are guilty of ourselves.
To combat haughty eyes, I encourage you today to pray a prayer of thanksgiving for all that the Lord has done for you! Thanksgiving for the grace you have received can be the antidote to the haughtiness you harbor!
Playing with Fire
We have all heard the phrase, “You are playing with fire!” It is not wise to place ourselves near danger, yet how often do we approach the very boundaries we have been called to avoid?
As I have been reading these chapters in Proverbs, I have been shocked by how often and how openly Solomon discusses the allure of sexual temptation.
Proverbs 5:3–4
3 For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey,
and her mouth is smoother than oil.
4 But in the end she is as bitter as poison,
as dangerous as a double-edged sword.
Proverbs 5:8
Stay away from her!
Don’t go near the door of her house!
Proverbs 5:20
Why be captivated, my son, by an immoral woman,
or fondle the breasts of a promiscuous woman?
Proverbs 6:25
Don’t lust for her beauty.
Don’t let her coy glances seduce you.
Then, now, and forever, men and women will be tempted by intimacy with what is forbidden. We seek what is not ours and give ourselves to what promises pleasure but ends in pain.
While all these warnings are important, I especially appreciate the practical wisdom of Proverbs 6:27–28:
27 Can a man scoop a flame into his lap
and not have his clothes catch on fire?
28 Can he walk on hot coals
and not blister his feet?
Solomon is saying, “Quit playing with fire because you are going to get burned!”
Where are you playing with fire?
Where are you approaching immorality simply in the name of interest or intrigue?
Where are you crossing lines you never imagined you would cross?
Quit playing with fire! Flee sexual immorality! The end is poison. Don’t go near it. Don’t lust after what is not true love.
The sad reality is that Solomon knew all of this to be true and yet is fully immersed in seeking out the pleasure of others. This is a constant fight that must be seriously taken or else it will take you!
If you are struggling in this area, please reach out to me at jordan@fbcfb.org to get help and move toward healing. There can be victory. There is hope. I want to help you in the fight!