Proverbs 12.5-8
“The thoughts of the righteous are just; the counsels of the wicked are deceitful. The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the mouth of the upright delivers them. The wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous will stand. A man is commended according to his good sense, but one of twisted mind is despised.”
There is a progression here: first thoughts, then words, then action, then consequences, and finally reputation and legacy. This progression is true for those that pursue what is right, and the progression is also true for those who are wicked.
Right thinking produces wise words, which leads to effective action, which results in a “house that stands”, which results in an honorable reputation and legacy.
Wrong thinking produces exactly the opposite, and the result is being “overthrown” and a reputation of being “despised.”
The Hebrew word for “twisted” is avah, and it refers to something that is bent, distorted, or perverted. This mental distortion — this twisting of the mind — is a consequence of the Fall recorded in Genesis 3. One of the most important gifts that God gave to man was the ability to think and make decisions, but at the Fall, man’s capacity for right thinking was twisted. From that moment forward human history was shaped by a long series of bad thinking and wicked actions that produced many “houses” that were overthrown.
Twisted thinking destroys individuals, families, and entire societies.
Read through the history of Israel in the OT, and you will see that the majority of the kings of Israel were guided by twisted thinking. The nation of Israel suffered mightily because of it.
The great empires of the ancient world were all eventually destroyed because of twisted thinking: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. Many nations of modern times suffered the same fate: Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, the Soviet Union.
The United States, for all its greatness and prosperity, has its own history of twisted thinking. Look no further than slavery and America’s horrible treatment of native Indian nations. Thankfully, the United States recognized and repented of its racist perspective and policies, but vestiges still remain, and the battle for “liberty and justice for all” is far from over.
Tragically, the twisted and perverted policy of abortion on demand remains in America. Many citizens, politicians, social leaders, and special interest groups continue to fight vigorously to keep abortion legal in America. Cut through the political rhetoric, and abortion remains what it is: the killing of innocent children.
Note: Do not fall for the trap — the false premise — that abortion is “the right of a woman to control her own body.” Yes, women (and men) have rights. But they also have responsibilities. And an unborn child’s right to life supercedes anyone’s “right to control their own body.” To think otherwise is simply twisted.
Also, keep in mind that one of the greatest evils of OT Israel was the sacrificing of their children to the pagan god Molech. God judged Israel severely for this monstrous act, and make no mistake, the Lord will judge America just as severely if we do not repent of our modern version of this dreadful evil.
But again, it starts with each of us as individuals. Cultivate your mind. Be discerning. Be disciplined in your thinking. Do not fall for “the deceitful counsels of the wicked.”
Proverbs 14.12 says it very clearly: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”
Trust God, do the work, and be disciplined in the way you think.
