December 26

Dec 26 – Today from Proverbs 26 we look at verse 2
"Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest."

The curse spoken of in this proverb is not some incantation executed by a sorcerer in a demonic ritual. The closest definition from the original Hebrew means 'vilification'. It is the act of one verbally speaking ill of another, with a particular emphasis on demeaning the character of that person. It is the opposite of verbally praising someone. The apostle James writes in chapter 3 verses 9 and 10; "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be."
This proverb does not address the one who curses so much as the one who is cursed. Every living being is susceptible to being cursed, no matter how nice they are. It is the human condition. People misunderstand one's motives, people disagree with one's processes, people see one in the way of their ambitious goals, people disagree with one's views - so people resort to character assassination in order to gain an edge in persuading others to side with them. People are good at cursing others. A person who is committed to grow in wisdom from above is a person who genuinely fears the Lord. If a person is walking in integrity of character, that person's focus is on their relationship with the Lord and has their confidence in the Lord. It may be unsettling to be the recipient of an unfounded curse, but it should not have an impacting effect on one's character whose confidence is in the Lord. The response of a mature believer is to either ignore an unfounded curse, or to bless the one who has pronounced the curse. The subtle warning in this proverb is for a disciple to keep an undeserved curse just that - undeserved. If one becomes offended by an undeserved curse and effects a retaliation, one has come under the power of that curse because they have relinquished their confidence in the Lord and taken matters of justice, or what's worse, revenge into their own hands. In effect, they have damaged the character of Christ in them, and allowed that which was dead in Christ (the carnal nature), to resurrect and take control. It is a matter of spiritual discipline to live the reality of Galatians 2:20; "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
A fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow is a presence, perhaps even an irritant. But if they are not allowed to land, sooner or later they will move on. If we will not allow an undeserved curse to land by maintaining integrity of character, sooner or later it will fade away. If you are the recent recipient of a curse - someone attempted to vilify you, tried to damage your good character - how should you respond? The answer that comes to you from the light of God's Word in a private meditation must be put into practice in order for it to bear fruit. So, what is your answer? How are you going to respond? God gives grace to all who are willing and are bold enough to take an obedient step of faith. Try it.
One final thought. Is there such thing as a 'deserved' curse? Perhaps not, but there may be unappealing areas in our lives of which we are not aware. I once heard this 'proverb' from a wise man; "If someone calls me a jackass, I usually just walk away and don't let it bother me. But if three people call me a jackass, I go to the mirror and take a good look at myself." If fairly honest or unbiased people are speaking 'perceived' curses about you, perhaps it is a sign that you need to go to the mirror of God's Word and take an honest look at yourself in that area. Just a thought.