We all know the suspense and worry associated with having a loved one living far away, wondering how they are doing and not able to receive much communication. This Proverb uses this common human experience.
Encouragement Keeps Us Going
This Proverb is about much more. It is intended as a metaphor for the spiritual value of encouragement, and how we all greatly need it because we all face uncertain futures.
Good words, promising words, hopeful words place encouragement and freedom into a person’s soul. These words help one another persevere in faithfully living life and serving God. Encouraging words are “like cold water to a thirsty soul.”
Such words are especially valuable when people are facing new challenges at new stages of life, or in the onset of new faith adventures with God. We need to keep on refreshing one another with the ministry of encouraging words.
Encouragement Prevents Disasters
We all need encouragement so that we don’t waver and “give way to the wicked.” This can happen to any of us. We can begin to waver, that is give in to weariness of the soul, and consider compromising with wicked.
We might surrender our moral position and make a false peace with the those who do not know God and His ways. When such disasters happen it is disheartening for all those who rely upon those “righteous ones” to do what is right.
A concession might be relatively minor, or it might be significant. It might have only short-term effects, or have implications for a long time. It doesn’t make much difference because now it is like a fresh spring becoming muddied, or a fountain becoming polluted.
Such a person used to be a reliable place of refreshment and life, but now this person does not and cannot provide this any longer. Sadly, Solomon himself would serve as his own example here at the end of his life, if you know the story.
Maybe you yourself have served as the fouled water illustration and you sense your need to return to the Lord and be strong in His truth and righteousness. Let the mud settle, and find your restoration in the refreshing “cold water” of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Surely we all have our own life examples of encouragement and discouragement, even of disillusionment and restoration. Let us keep ourselves and one another encouraged in the Lord, so we don’t give way before the wicked. Let us meet one another’s weariness with encouragement, and provide real help for real life.
Proverbs 25:25–26 ESV “Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.”That was in a time when communication took a while and was infrequent. Yet, we today, still share this human concern and burden for loved ones. A good report is a remedy for the soul, whether it arrives as an email, photo, call, letter, or report from a friend who visited.
Encouragement Keeps Us Going
This Proverb is about much more. It is intended as a metaphor for the spiritual value of encouragement, and how we all greatly need it because we all face uncertain futures.
Good words, promising words, hopeful words place encouragement and freedom into a person’s soul. These words help one another persevere in faithfully living life and serving God. Encouraging words are “like cold water to a thirsty soul.”
Such words are especially valuable when people are facing new challenges at new stages of life, or in the onset of new faith adventures with God. We need to keep on refreshing one another with the ministry of encouraging words.
Encouragement Prevents Disasters
We all need encouragement so that we don’t waver and “give way to the wicked.” This can happen to any of us. We can begin to waver, that is give in to weariness of the soul, and consider compromising with wicked.
We might surrender our moral position and make a false peace with the those who do not know God and His ways. When such disasters happen it is disheartening for all those who rely upon those “righteous ones” to do what is right.
A concession might be relatively minor, or it might be significant. It might have only short-term effects, or have implications for a long time. It doesn’t make much difference because now it is like a fresh spring becoming muddied, or a fountain becoming polluted.
Such a person used to be a reliable place of refreshment and life, but now this person does not and cannot provide this any longer. Sadly, Solomon himself would serve as his own example here at the end of his life, if you know the story.
Maybe you yourself have served as the fouled water illustration and you sense your need to return to the Lord and be strong in His truth and righteousness. Let the mud settle, and find your restoration in the refreshing “cold water” of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Surely we all have our own life examples of encouragement and discouragement, even of disillusionment and restoration. Let us keep ourselves and one another encouraged in the Lord, so we don’t give way before the wicked. Let us meet one another’s weariness with encouragement, and provide real help for real life.
Hebrews 10:35–36 ESV “Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.”
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