Proverbs 26:2

The book of Proverbs gives us insights into so many different areas of life. The book gives us instruction on how to live our lives for God. Here is a proverb that gives us insight about false acquisitions:

Proverbs 26:2 (ESV)

Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying,

a curse that is causeless does not alight.

Everyone, at one time or another, has been accused of something. We tend to react differently to those accusations. Most defend or attack, others go into a shell and still others self-destruct. In this proverb we are given some vital truth that we would do good to hold onto in the shadow of an accusations. Just like a "sparrow" flits from place to place, or a "swallow" flys eractically, so too a curse "without cause" does not land and stick. What Solomon is telling us is that a false accusations leaves no mark on us. When I lived on a boat, I had little birds every morning land on the rails of the boat. They don't stay long. But they end up leaving  their droppings and then fly away. So, too, a false acquisation. They leave a mess but there is no real damage and a powerful hose eventually cleans things up.

 

Many people will accuse us of many things. But under God's watch and God's care, their accusations are just flittering birds and dartying sparrows. Don't get too caught up in their droppings. Once they are gone, take a shower and move on.  However, if you dwell on it, and you allow it to sit and dry, the accusations will become old and crusty.  That’s what happened on the boat.  If I washed the bird droppings away right away, they left little, if no mark. But, if I didn’t attend to it and brush it off quickly, it crusted and stained the boat. So, too, an accusation.  Brush it off and move on. Or, dwell on it and allow it to leave an everlasting stain.