What's For Supper?

"As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly." Proverbs 26:11


I love this verse for many reasons. I like that you can shock and surprise people who think the Bible is drab and full of, "How art thou brethren" stuff. I'm not good at remembering verses sometimes, so this verse helps boost my "esteem", for lack of a better word. When people try to show off their prowess at memorizing Bible verses, I can always whip out this little chestnut.

The main thing I like this verse is that it is straight to the point and it is very practical. It means what it says with few words; and those few words are chock full of common sense and perspective that Mark Twain or Will Rogers would be proud of.

This verse simply tells us that it is foolish to continue to do things that are lacking purpose. This verse tells us that it is foolish to continue to do something that can be harmful. This verse tells us that it just isn't smart to do the same old foolish thing over and over.

I realize that vomit isn't exactly a wholesome topic to discuss; and that it is actually rather repulsive. But what is the motivating force behind vomit, so to speak? What causes us to vomit?

And the answer to that is that vomiting is our body's way of ridding itself of something harmful or hurtful. It is a reaction to something that has entered our bodies that should not be in there, something that make us sick or even be fatal. And while it is not fun or pleasant, how much better do we feel after we vomit; after we expel the toxin, poison, bacteria or virus. As gross as it is, it is not only necessary, but comforting in an odd sort of way.

Now let's look at sin in our life, not as the actual vomit but as what is causing us to vomit. Just as a virus or food poisoning can harm us and make us physically sick, sin can make us equally sick spiritually. And just as eating a bad egg or catching the flu from someone, or swallowing toxic chemicals can be harmful and hurtful physically, pornography, foul language, gossip, favoritism, pride, so on and so forth, can harm us spiritually. And unlike a bacteria or virus, much of the sin in our life is the consequence of a deliberate action, not just a happenstance.

And just as it is foolish for a dog to continue to eat something that it's body has expelled in order to begin healing, it is foolish for us to continue to repeat the same sin over and over. But how often do we ask God for forgiveness and a chance to begin spiritual healing in our own bodies, then the first opportunity we get, we do the same thing over and over again. Not to be crude, but it may be smarter to eat vomit than to continue living a life in a pattern of sinful decisions over and over.

So think of the things in your life that are spiritually harmful and hurtful. And as vomit is void of nutrients, think of things in your life that are without purpose. Now think about how often you expose yourself to these empty, harmful aspects in your life. Think about how often you expel these things spiritually, only to turn around and find yourself in the same situation again and again. Now tell me if you really feel any smarter than a dog on his third helping of vomit.

So the challenge of this devotional is for each of us to put an end to the foolish, empty practices in our life and to ask God for healing and for purpose; and for us to never return to the place of our individually specific sins. I challenge you, as well as myself, to rise above the status of a foolish dog eating vomit and to begin feasting on the spiritual nutrients that God can feed us; never to return to the dinner plate full of the same old, same old sin that only harms, hinders, and hurts.