Dishonesty May Delay Justice, But Not Prevent It – (Proverbs 21:14)

Daily Bible Study
We have to remember that the Bible is God's truth and while not condoning bad behavior, it gives us facts regarding everyday life and the behavior of people. It gives us insight in regards to the world we live in, insight which can help us live a more God honoring life. And this is one such case, where the book of Proverbs speaks to us in regards to human behavior. A behavior which is common in our fallen world. People can do dishonest things to avoid or pervert justice. And a bribe or "secret" gift is just one circumstance of that fallen behavior. As many people love to say, "we're just human." And part of our humanity is having emotions which, if we let them, can control or influence our behavior. And the reality is many people will use the influencing of the emotions of others for personal gain. This passage is not only referring to bribes as we think of them, but also to those day to day circumstances of life, such as being nice to a boss at work only to gain their favor or to prevent their wrath.

In our world today we may call this business, or just plain normal behavior, however the Bible tells us God looks at our hearts as well as our actions. God is looking at the true motivation and desires which drive our actions. Moreover, God doesn't just judge our actions, but He also judges on the true motivations and desires of our hearts. This means even if we did something nice, but we did it for selfish reasons or personal gain, it's still sin in God's eyes. And though such actions may bring temporary relief from justice or bring favor to us, in the end God is not mocked and all things will be brought into the light, by Christ Jesus our Lord. This is especially true for the children of God, those who claim the name of Jesus. God is long suffering and He will give us chances to repent. God will even bring about obstacles to block our way and prevent us from going down a wrong path. However, if we continue to ignore God's warnings, He will bring chastisement and discipline into our lives, why? Because he loves us that much and His will is that we would spend eternity in His presence.