QT 8/7/2024 Prov 25:16-17, Enough is Enough

Proverbs 25:16–17 (ESV)

16 If you have found honey, eat only enough for you,

lest you have your fill of it and vomit it.

17 Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor’s house,

lest he have his fill of you and hate you.

 

NOTE: This part of Proverbs could easily be called the book of Hezekiah (Prov 25:1) since these were other sayings of Solomon that Hezekiah, a later king of Judah, found useful.

 

In Duane Garret's commentary, he entitles the passage "Enough is Enough." I like that title because it is a principle that I have seen many times, most often on vacations and visits. Vacations are fun and also infrequent, so there is a tendency to do the most you can or stretch out the days as far as you can. At a certain point in a long vacation, you wish you were back home where you can really rest. I recently finished an 18 day vacation driving across the country, 10 days of driving and 9 days of no driving in various locations. It was probably too long, that is, Enough is Enough. At other times in our life we have stayed with family. A week is almost too long. It sounds like a good idea to stay longer, but you can outstay your welcome in many cases.

 

All good things have a limit. It is a good idea to set limits and learn from the less-than-best experiences. More is not always better. Too much of a good thing becomes a bad thing. Ice cream is good until you have eaten more than you needed. Learning self-control in all things makes fun experiences more enjoyable, not less. In that sense, less is better, because it makes it better.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I "overdo" it on things that I enjoy?
2. Can I learn to exercise self-control so that good things remain good things?

 

PRAYER: Father, I feel like I keep relearning this lesson in so many areas, probably because I lack self-control. Help me as I fight the flesh to live in control and not to give in to excess.