Proverbs 27:6 – “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.” NASB

Have you ever taken a trip with six or seven people in a small car?  Even a short trip can seem endless when packed like sardines into cramped quarters.  I recall a friend telling of a trip in a small economy car with his family – six people packed into that tiny vehicle. 

He could not see through the back glass using the rearview mirror. They were so packed in, and it was an exercise in futility to try to get the children to all move in unison.  He had to completely trust his son to advise him when it was safe to change lanes, and his son realizing how difficult it was for the dad to trust him, said, “Dad, you have to believe me.” 

That was a real lesson in trust.  The boy was dad’s eyes. He was able to fill in the ‘blind spots’ because he could see things from a better perspective.  We all have Blind Spots and need someone else to help us find them.

Our family and friends can often see things from a more precise or different perspective than we do.  We sometimes become aware of our ‘blind spots’ as we see those same things in others.  This was possibly the situation when Nathan the prophet went to David the king to point out his ‘blind spot.’  Nathan used the approach of relating a supposed incident to David and enabling David to see what his ‘blind spot’ was.

One would think that Nathan’s story would have been unnecessary.  How could a man cause the death of another without realizing the depravity of his own heart?  Sadly, that is where David was. 

Maybe it was out of a sense of entitlement; I do not know.  But the story of David taking Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba, and having Uriah killed in battle is a horrific story of how a man like David can descend into the trap of sin.  Nathan used a third-person narrative to get David’s attention and told of a rich man with many sheep and a poor man with only one. 

When Nathan told David how the rich man had stolen the poor man’s singular sheep, David was furious and declared that the guilty party should be put to death.  At that point, Nathan pointed his finger in David’s face and said, “You are the man!”  David immediately recognized his ‘blind spot’ and sin and repented. 

In saying this, I must ask several questions as we seek to deal with our own ‘blind spots’ and move forward into what God would have us become.

ARE YOU CONSISTENT?

James 1:8 tells us that a ‘double-minded’ man is unstable in all his ways.  I am reminded of an account a preacher told me years ago. It was a time when God taught him the importance of ‘consistency.’  

He was rushing home after having dropped off some of their children at school, and in the back seat was his youngest son.  He was anxious to get home to attend to other things and began speeding down the highway.  The lad said, “Dad, you are going 75 miles an hour!”  It took him by surprise because he did not think the child could understand a speedometer but trying to conceal his surprise, he said, “So what?”  

The little boy said, “But the speed limit is 55.”  At that moment, the Holy Spirit began to minister to his heart, and he realized that it was in his heart that he could do wrong so long as he did not get caught, and it was okay.  By his actions, he was teaching his child a ‘double standard,’ and conviction gripped him.  He was teaching his son that it was okay to ‘say one thing’ and yet ‘do another.”

For most adults, ‘speeding’ is not a big deal, but for a young child in the developmental stages of life, it is ‘breaking the law’ and, therefore, wrong – CUT and DRIED!  It is a ‘double standard;’ if we can do it there, why not everywhere?

I have more questions to pose, but I will stop there and pray that God grant you a great day and help you to be CONSISTENT!  

I pray that the Lord’s Blessings will abundantly flow to you today!