Proverbs Daily Devotional: Day 5
“The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast. He will die for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly.”
Proverbs 5:22-23
A father was struggling to raise his son with godly principles, and it seemed his son was not listening to his advice nor following his example. He hired a sage to come and teach the boy the power of discipline and godly habits rather than instant gratification and foolish choices. The sage took the boy to a garden and asked him to pull up a newly planted shrub. The boy pulled it out with ease. He took him deeper into the garden, to a flowering bush, and asked the boy to pull this up as well. The boy took hold of it, pulled and strained, and with much effort, uprooted it as well. Next the sage took him to a small tree and made the same request. The boy pulled, strained, and heaved with all of his effort, but could not uproot the tree. The sage offered him a saw, which he used to cut down the tree. “So it is with our habits and choices,” said the sage. “When we are young, our habits don’t take root and we can easily be pulled from the ground, much like the shrub. As we grow older and our habits become more rooted, it takes great effort to break free from them, like the bush. After a time, our habits become so ingrained within us, so deeply rooted, that it is impossible to separate us from them without painfully cutting or sawing them away, like the tree.”
The longer you live, the more deeply ingrained your habits become. Your choices now matter more than ever. Choose where you want to take root, in habits which are harmful, or which are helpful to who you want to be. What habits are you cultivating in yourself, and what are you modeling for others?
— Pastor Jeff
