Maybe you like this version better: 26. A good person who gives in to a bad person is a muddied spring, a polluted well. MSG
Or maybe this one: 26. A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring. KJV
26. Like a muddied spring or a polluted well are the righteous who give way to the wicked. NIV
No matter how you say it, it means the same thing! Don't be a MUD HOLE! I personally Do Not want to be a mud hole! Been there, done that, ain't doing it again! The old saying is true, "can't see through muddy water"! If the world cannot see Christ in you then it is time for a cleansing!
I am not of this world nor do I want to be! I want it to be crystal clear that I am of the Kingdom of God and am about the King's business! I want it to be very clear who I stand for and what I stand for! I want to be completely set apart from the ways of this world! I want to be seen like Psalm 1:1-3. She is blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous & enviable) because she does not walk or live in the counsel of the ungodly (following their advice, their plans & purposes), nor stands (submissive & inactive) in the path where sinners walk, nor does she sit down ( to relax & rest) where the scornful (and the mockers) gather. But she delights & desires the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) she habitually meditates (ponders & studies) by day & by night. She is like a tree firmly planted (and tended) by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or whither; and everything she does prospers!
I will not shrink back! I will speak out loud! I will continue to be confident and bold! I will not be afraid of what man can say or do to me physically because my spirit will live with Christ eternally! This I am completely sure of!
I have stumbled in the ways of the wicked, but God picked me right up and washed me clean again and I refuse to go there again! I will be a beacon of light forever steering the lost to the Savior! So please know that if I share something that is of the truth of God's word and it offends you, I am not sorry because I do it with great love and compassion and a super passion to see everyone live like Christ and to receive his richest blessings! I care about you!
If you or I are offended by the truth of God's word then it is good! Offense leads to conviction! We do have a choice in this though! We get to choose to be offended or convicted. If we are just offended then we tend to snarl and bite, lash out in bitterness and rage, but if we are convicted we again make another choice. We can choose to obey and let God work in us and through us or we can continue to make excuses about why we haven't changed and how we know we need to but...and just keep right on muddying the water! I look forward to conviction because it gives me great joy and peace when I obey! Discipline is not always easy and eating humble pie does not always taste good at first! Hebrews 12 encourages us not to make light of the Lord's discipline, and to not lose heart when he rebukes us, because The Lord disciplines the one he loves and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son or daughter. If we are not disciplined then we are not true sons and daughters. Earthly fathers discipline us as they think best but God disciplines for our good in order that we may share in his holiness.
11. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been TRAINED by it.
When I stand before my Father, my King, I do not want to be asked "why didn't you speak up & stand out? Why didn't you obey?" I want to hear God say, "In you, my daughter, my princess, I am well pleased!" How about you? Is God convicting you of something or are you still offended? Is he asking you to change or stand out? To be set apart? Then "Just Do It"!
Recently I made some statements in a group that may have been offensive or taken in the wrong way, so, later I asked God to show me where I went wrong and to convict me so I could know where I stood and correct my mistakes. Two things he showed me 1. What you said was right but your delivery could have been better and he showed me through scripture how to correct it.
2. I am still working on you till the day of completion but I need your obedience in order to use you effectively. In frustration and passion I had said, "people need to stop using the phrase "he's still working on me" as an excuse to keep doing what they are doing. The saying has it's appropriateness, God showed me that in Philippians 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Along with that truth he also led me through verses about discipline & obedience as well as verses about letting my words be full of salt, tasteful, and also laced with compassion & love. Grace!
I'm so glad he did because I know I will grow to maturity like a tree planted by the spring!
So, yes, God is still working on you, but are you working on you or are you still making excuses?
So, now, go & let the fresh spring water flow through you! Wash the mud from your feet! Be a babbling brook of righteousness! Be a refreshing fountain of encouragement! Be a current of wisdom & understanding and a well of knowledge! Be a scepter of truth and walk in the path of obedience!
Go shine! Go sparkle!
Sparkles to you,
Stephanie Goode
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