Oct 24 Devotion: Prudent & Prepared

Proverbs 27:12 “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.”

So many times our spirituality is hindered by our lack of foresight. The foreseeing mentioned in this proverb is not referring to divination or seeing the future, the Bible is very clear not to partake in such witchcraft. Furthermore, this verse is not necessarily seeing the evil that may loom on the morrow for the Word also makes it clear that our concern should be on today because none are guaranteed a tomorrow. So what is this verse specifically instructing the followers of God to do?

Firstly, a prudent man foresees the evil in himself. In order to be most prudent one must also be humble. The two are in constant tandem. It is prudent to be humble and a humble believer will act prudently because they are aware of their limitations and strengths. A humble Christians is aware of their own propensity towards evil, and as a result of constant inward examination with the Word of God knows when the flesh is most likely to strive to partake in such evil. If I know my weak points, I can avoid the situations that I know will lead to temptation. I can literally hide myself away from the unnecessary temptations that I otherwise would open myself to. However, when temptation and evil must be faced head-on and cannot be avoided, a prudent and humble Christian is aware of the danger before the evil presents itself. Therefore, with that understanding and foresight, I can hide myself under the wings of God and avoid falling into said evil. As we have heard from the pulpit before, “To be forewarned is to be forearmed.”

Second, a prudent man can foresee evil in regards to others. Prudent individuals are looking for the simplest and most effective way to live upright before the Lord. Our interactions with others, whether those people are saved or lost, are always prone to becoming some sort of evil. Those around us are always capable of provoking the believer into a reaction that would be considered evil. Unchecked anger, a rise of lust, becoming envious, backbiting / tail-bearing and many others which are not listed. Instead of blindly reacting to our interactions in the world, a prudent man is looking for the entrapments and provocations that are set before him by others. Instead of stepping into the trap and triggering the punishment, the prudent hides himself away in the direction and insights of the Word of God. David himself said that he hid the Word of God in his heart that he might not sin against God. When we are presented with the evil machinations of others, we too must enter that place in our heart where we have hidden the principles of God and purpose to abide by those instructions.

Finally, a prudent man foresees the evil of the adversary. We are not ignorant of the devil’s devices, we are not oblivious to spiritual warfare in which we are embroiled and we are not unaware of the equipment which has been given to us to fulfill our obligations as soldiers of Christ. It is certain that every Christian will face spiritual warfare if they earnestly contend for the faith, but it is not certain that you will face combat today. One of the devil’s most effective devices is lulling people into a false sense of security. If you do not foresee the conflict, then you will be unprepared when such combat manifests. But a prudent man understands such conflicts are inevitable. His Armor of God is daily inspected for imperfections; his eyes are always looking for the banners of the enemy, his mindset it that he will do all stand in the gap and make up the hedge when he sees that it is damaged. A prudent man understands that mending the small rent in the hedge today prevents an incursion tomorrow. A prudent many daily asks our Heavenly Father where his personal defenses are lacking and what work he can do in the vineyard to keep others from breaking the hedge and being bitten by a serpent.

The key to foreseeing as the prudent man is to ever live in the present. Phillip noticed the Ethiopian reading the word of God because he was mindful of his current surroundings. Too often we do not foresee because we are so obsessed with what comes next. By constantly looking towards the next task we run the risk of grieving the Spirit of God by not giving Him the opportunity to manifest a “space of grace” where we can assess our situation and make preparations as needed. The reason a trap works is because the prey does not notice it. A prudent man goes out of his way to avoid traps and when confronted with a trap he relies upon God to disarm, provide detours and protect him from the evil that would overcome him on his own.

Your fellowservant in Christ,

Bro. Jordan Foster