May 20

May 20 - Today from Proverbs 20 we look at verse 17
"Food gained by fraud tastes sweet to a man, but he ends up with a mouth full of gravel."

The picture in this proverb is purely allegorical. It reveals a spiritual truth which when properly learned, adds significant wisdom to the student of life. As with most allegorical proverbs, the picture presented gives the student a very graphic mental image. You have to stop a minute engage your imagination. When you think about something that tastes sweet, you probably conjure up your favorite dessert or snack. It is a very positive and gratifying thought, is it not? But when, in your imagination that delicious bite turns into a mouth full of cold, hard, gritty gravel, the gratifying feeling quickly disappears as an uncomfortable and repulsive picture takes its place.
That is exactly the impact the Lord would like impressed upon our souls when we would contemplate engaging in a fraudulent act (the KJV calls it the bread of deceit), in order to enjoy a self-gratifying experience. The end never justifies self-serving means. When the means are achieved through some form of deception, the end will not be as sweet as the perpetrator thought it would. We are all repulsed by the thought of a bite of delicious dessert turning into a mouth full of gravel, but we have a difficult time getting hold of the fact that this is exactly what happens spiritually when we attempt to make selfish gain through deception.
The principle runs true regardless of the size of the bite. Perpetrators seldom see themselves as a perpetrator. We humans have a tendency to rationalize and justify our fraudulent ways so that we do not see ourselves as being fraudulent. Young men tell young ladies in some form or other, "I love you, and if you loved me you would hold nothing back from me." That is fraudulent. What he is really saying is, "I love me and I am really craving some sweets right now." He is more than ready to defraud a sweet young girl from one of her most precious assets.
Employees tell themselves, "I am underappreciated and underpaid. I deserve some sweets from this company." Once they have deceived themselves, they can rationalize defrauding, ("Get what is coming to me"), the company.
Teens tell themselves and each other, "My parents think they own me. They don't understand me and they try to control every facet of my life. It's not fair. I am old enough to choose and enjoy my own sweets" They now have set up the rational to justify defrauding their parents.
Believers tell themselves, "I am barely able to make ends meet right now. If I have anything left over this week, I'll throw it in the offering. Besides, tithing is an Old Testament law. We are no longer under the law. The church has enough money anyway. I work hard for my money and I deserve a sweet now and then" The believer has just deceived himself into rationalizing defrauding God Himself (Malachi 3:8-9).
These are but a few examples. In every case, the desired sweet will turn into a mouthful of gravel. The big problem is that too often the perpetrator will not connect the transformation of a sweet bite into a mouth full of gravel. They have justified their actions, therefore they cannot own the consequences. Wisdom seeks to make the connection through the understanding of life the way God meant it to be. Once the connection is made from the partaking of the bread of deceit to the discomfort of a mouth full of gravel, there is to be confession (Agreeing with God, "Yes. I was a perpetrator in that action. Forgive me."), and repentance (Turning away from any further activity of such kind, "Thank you for showing me the error of my way. Lord, give me grace and wisdom to stay off that path".)
Confession and repentance. It is the way of a disciple, and a good way to keep our mouths free from the discomfort of gravel.