Only Tow Directions

“For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.” (Pr 24:16 AV)

This one is hard to explain.  The Spirit has spoken to my heart to compare the just man and the wicked man.  The just man falls, but rises again.  The wicked falls, and falls again.  In other words, there is no neutral ground.  When one falls, he will either rise back up and learn from it, or he will continue the downward progression of failure.

To put it in a lighter tone, one cannot help but get a little out of hand this time of year with the sweets that are laying around.  Lisa has this snack table set up in the dinning room.  It has all sorts of baked goods, candy, and other snackable items.  The problem is, once you pass that table and grab a Christmas cookie, it doesn’t stop.  Then comes the buckeyes, the hard tack candy, or the ginger-snaps.  Specially if you’re trying to stay on a healthy diet or not spoil one’s dinner, taking one little bite starts one down a spiral that often ends with an upset stomach.   In short, the just man knows when to stop and turn around.  The wicked just keep going until circumstances require one stop.

There is a little of both in us.  I remember when my brother and I tried out smoking.  We stole a pack of my mom’s cigarettes and hid in the tree house.  We didn’t know that you were only supposed to smoke one at a time and perhaps wait a while.  We chain smoked that pack.  We were sicker than a dog!  Then there was the time I tried out drinking.  This was after I accepted Christ.  The LORD didn’t let that get to far until He almost killed me!  If we desire to walk with God, we need to know when to stop and turn around.  Time to rise out of that which is spiraling and out of control!  If we seek to be that just man, then we have to rise above and apart from our sin!  Only two directions to go.  There is no staying neutral!