| Proverbs 15:19 – “Like a broken tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in times of trouble.” |
I’ve never known anyone jazzed to see the dentist.
If you asked thousands of people about their favorite pastime, a visit to the “tooth doctor” would rarely make the list. No offense to the excellent dentists out there. You do very important and honorable work.
But to be fair, you did choose to look inside mouths for a living.
It’s wild how a minute tooth can cause massive discomfort. The disdain for the dentist is likely connected. When the mouth hurts, the whole body hurts.
Even so, the dentist isn’t the only source for toothache.
Listen to the picturesque advice of Proverbs: “Like a broken tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in times of trouble.” (Proverbs 15: 19, NIV)
In difficult seasons, where do you turn? Even more importantly, to whom do you turn?
Like it or not, life is a journey of credibility. Reliability is proved in tough, not tranquil moments. When the thunder roars and winds blow, wrong counsel generates destruction. Wise counsel makes all the difference.
Some might say, “But people can change. Just because they let me down in the past, that doesn’t mean they will let me down in the future!”
That’s true.
Everyone deserves a second (and third, fourth, fifth….) chance. You should never apologize for being a person of grace.
But you can also give someone the benefit of the doubt without being a beneficiary of their delinquency. In times of trouble, don’t chew on the wrong food.
Choose friends strategically. Designate counselors meticulously. Confide in confidantes carefully.
The dentist isn’t the only source of toothache. Sometimes not even sturdy floss and a good toothbrush can help.
- Jacob Hawk
