Probing Proverbs 14:12-14 There is a path before
each person that seems right, but it ends in death. Laughter can conceal a heavy heart, but when the laughter
ends, the grief remains. Backsliders get what they deserve; good people receive
their reward.
Reality is so very hard to deal with. When I left
Hawaii with my wife to go to Bible College, one of the most difficult things
was that I had to say goodbye to my mother, who had been very sick beginning in
her 30’s with Rheumatoid Arthritis. My worst fear was realized when at the
beginning of my SR year I received a call on a Saturday at 1:00 AM. For some
reason, I sensed it was about mom, and when I picked up the phone, that familiar
echo that happened with long-distance calls was there. Young people today do
not understand what I am talking about because technology has removed that
problem, but back then if it was long-distance you heard the echo. My dad said,
“Mom is gone.” No matter what I desired, demanded or expected, the fact was my
mom had left this temporal world and moved into eternity.
Fortunately, for my mom and myself, she had trusted in Christ with me
just months before when the Lord allowed me to visit her the summer after my
Jr. year of Bible College. It did not take away my grief, but it did change it!
I did not grieve as the world does with no hope.
This section of Proverbs communicates three very harsh realities that
we should heed. First reality, each of us chooses a path to walk in life, and
we believe it is right. Many walk a path that claims they can custom make their
own way to God, and I do not doubt their sincerity.
Some, like me, believe that
Scriptures describe only one path that leads to God. The reality is we all
cannot be right. The Truth is the Truth, no matter how much we believe
otherwise. Even Paul admitted that if Christ did not rise from the dead, then
what he believes is wrong! The second reality, if your heart is heavy with
grief, you may be able to numb that reality with drugs, pleasures, riches or
fame for a time…but at the end of the day, when all the distractions are
removed, you will have to face that grief. The third reality, unless God shows
mercy, all of us will reap what we sow.
So here are some questions to consider: How much time have you
invested in seeking the Truth concerning eternity and eternal life? If you
believe you will exist forever what is your plan of salvation, and what
evidence do you have, beside your own preferences, that this is The True Plan?
No matter how good life is, it will end. What will happen after that…regret and
grief, or joy and life? God offers mercy to those that do not desire to reap
what sin sows; are you willing to ask for His mercy?
The So What: What do you believe about eternal life, and why? Where
did you get your belief system? Are you taking someone else’s word for that, or
are you proving it to yourself by asking tough questions and applying the
answers?
