Proverbs 26

Bible Passage: Proverbs 26

Dogs are often described as Man’s best friend. Majority of dog owners these days describe their pets as part of the family, and they engage in activities centred on the needs and interests of their dogs.

Not only do dogs offer love and affection, they also work alongside their owners. They provide social, physical and emotional benefits for their human counterparts.

However in the bible we read of this creature without a positive note. Dogs are used describe sinful unrepentant people (Rev 22:15), compared to pigs(Matt 7:6), and are described as wicked and vicious (Ps 22:16)

The dog is again mentioned in today’s chapter(v11).

 As a dog returns to his own vomit,
 So a fool repeats his folly.

Given the chance, dogs eat their own vomit, and they actually LIKE it. Even though their bellies reject the offensive food ingested, they still return and eat it again.

While we feel disgusted and sickened at this, do we also have the same horror-filled disgust when we return to our old ways?

Consider a man who just had a heart attack. After his heart bypass surgery, he resolves to enrol in the best exercise program, and is determined to have only lettuce, tomatoes and brown rice three meals a day. He plans his exercise schedule in detail, throws out bags of fried msg-laden seaweed stashed in his cupboard and replaces them with healthy flaxseeds and almonds packed with nutritious goodness.

But after three months of no relapse, he goes back to being a couch potato, feasting on  roti prata with cheese and chugging bubbletea.

Has he forgotten the crushing pain of his heart attack? Does he crave the poison that is killing him slowly but surely? In fact, we might even feel that he deserves it if he suffers a relapse again.

Similarly for us today, what filth have we vomited up, what folly have we rejected, which we are now tempted to return to?

This simple verse allows me to see clearly and feel ashamed about my great weakness that has been bothering me for the past few weeks.

After my baptism, after every spiritual meeting, after partaking of the Holy Communion, I always resolve to live for Jesus, to lead a life pleasing to Him. However I am aware I still fall way short of His grace, returning to my old ways, to the ways of the world.

How many times have God forgiven and deliver the Israelites, only to see them return to their pagan vomit? How many times have God showed us mercy for our weaknesses and forgave us, only to see us returning to our old ways… returning to square one?

Sometimes we may feel exhausted spiritually, but we can start from the small things- read the bible daily, attend church services regularly, and pray a lot more.

While there is still time, we must resolve to flee from sin, and eliminate the sources of temptation.  If we completely satisfy our hunger with spiritual things, we would have no hunger for vomit.