Thought for the Day

These verses tell us that the righteous are delivered from trouble, while the wicked are snared by their own transgressions.

Verse 12 - Wicked men desire the things that evil men catch in their net. The righteous are different; their lives produce fruit that benefits others because they are rooted and grounded in God's love (Ephesians 3:16-19).

Verses 13-14 - Most people do not realize that the things they speak, whether positive or negative, will affect their lives. We all know people who are habitual complainers, always confessing a scenario of bad things that could happen. Many of these bad things do happen to them, because they are not walking in faith. On the other hand, those who voice a positive confession of faith in the face of their troubles are an inspiration to others and many are granted miracles to overcome the obstacles in their lives.

A Biblical confession is not to be confused with the "positive confession" taught by success propagators. Positive confessions are aimed at promoting self, not the kingdom of God. They usually claim worldly wealth and personal success. Success propagators' confessions are based on selfishness and the misuse of Scripture, rather than on truth.

Confessing God's Word will empower us to do His will. We must be careful to claim scriptural promises not only for what we desire, but for what the Lord desires for us. God desires to bless us, but desires even more to cleanse us. He is more interested in our eternal character than our temporary comfort. We must be as faithful to claim God's promises for cleansing from what offends Him, as for healing or material blessings.

Verse 15 - The wise seek the counsel of God's Word. We must learn not to merely give our own opinions about things, but to speak what God's Word says. We easily quote what men have to say on a subject, often believing their words, even if they contradict the Bible. We may hesitate to quote what God says because the devil persuades us that to do so in our circumstances would be lying. Satan wants us to look at our circumstances rather than God's Word. Circumstances, however, are subject to change, and one of the things that cause them to change is confessing God's Word over them (Romans 4:17).