Sad Clowns
13
Laughter can conceal a heavy heart,
but when the laughter ends, the grief remains.
14
Backsliders get what they deserve;
good people receive their reward.
Verse 13
When we laugh, sometimes we are sad. Other people do not know this. They think that we are happy if we laugh. God knows our real feelings. He cares about us.
Verse 14
Here, Solomon compares a good man with a man who turns away from God.
A good man receives good things, because he deserves good things. An evil man receives evil things, because he deserves evil things.
The man who turns away from God used to be a good man. He turned back to do evil deeds. He too will receive what he deserves. See 2 Timothy 4:14, Jude 5-6, and Hebrews 10:26-31. ‘But we are not the people that turn back. God will not destroy us. We are the people who believe in God. Therefore, God will protect us.’ (Hebrews 10:39)
The first proverb reminds me of the saying, "Sometimes I'm laughing on the outside but crying on the inside." Often, we put on a brave face so others won't know how we're really feeling. Many people at church might seem like they have it all together, but their lives might actually be a mess, and they could be hurting more than you could ever imagine.
Verse 14 touches on a familiar theme: if someone is disloyal and deceitful, they will eventually experience disloyalty and deceit themselves. On the other hand, if someone is honest and good, they will eventually be rewarded with good things.
Let me ask you: When you meet someone, even if you've met them many times before, do you try to look beyond the surface to see if there are signs of depression or hurt that you can help with?
Struggle to Standing. Available on Amazon. https://a.co/d/ev3YUqw
Website at https://www.wisdomfortheday.org
Support the show and Community Membership
I Love You!
See Ya!