Bragging about what hasn't yet happened

DAILY BIBLE READING:

1 Kings 20:1–21:29 
Acts 12:24–13:15 
Psalm 137:1-9 
Proverbs 17:16

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

1 Kings 20:11 "The king of Israel answered, 'Say this: "Don’t let the one who puts on his armor boast like the one who takes it off." ' "

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

The verse I chose as the Verse for Today is classic. The weak, evil king Ahab and Aram's King Ben-hadad were 'talking smack' as Ben-hadad threatened to plunder Ahab and destroy him. Yet, encouraged by a prophet's words, Ahab regained his confidence and provoked his enemy with these words...

1 Kings 20:11 "... Don’t let the one who puts on his armor boast like the one who takes it off."

Essentially, king Ahab said that it's easy to brag about being victorious when you are putting on your armor and preparing for battle. It's quite another to brag about being victorious after the battle when you have actually won.

Even though evil King Ahab said this, there is much truth in it.

Just read the following verses:

Proverbs 27:1 "Don’t boast about tomorrow, for you don’t know what a day might bring."

James 4:13-17 "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.' Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring - what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes. Instead, you should say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.' But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So it is sin to know the good and yet not do it."

As Ahab said, we really have no right to brag about what hasn't yet happened. 

Of course, we can and should prayerfully plan ahead. But, because of our limited knowledge, we have no clue what lies around the corner. So, we plan but we also trust in God for what is ahead. 

And never, under any circumstances, do we brag about what we haven't yet done. I think that God delights to periodically turn the tables in those instances to remind us of how frail we really are.


via GIPHY