Don’t be a frog in boiling water

Proverbs 1:33

“But whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease without fear of harm.” NIV

This is the last morning of my trip.  I’ve enjoyed my tour through various versions of the Bible on Bible Gateway.com, and I’m thinking that there are many reminders left to find … perhaps even the 143 I am looking for.

This morning, I looked in the New International Reader’s Version, where this verse reads, “But those who listen to me will live in safety. They will not worry. They won’t be afraid of getting hurt.” NIRV

I like what this verse says when you combine it with the one before it, “For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.” NIV

The image that comes to mind is the frog in boiling water.

I’ve heard it said that if you drop a frog in boiling water, it will immediately jump out.  But, if you put it in a pot of water that is a nice, warm temperature, and then slowly increase the heat, the frog will happily stay there until it dies in the boiling water.

This is a good analogy to remember as we Christians strive to live in the world, but not to be of it.  If we are to live here without worries, we must listen to our Father.  If we follow His ways and His commands, we will live in safety, we won’t have to worry about getting hurt.

But, if we are disobedient, or wayward (which is a stupid, or simple choice) or if we are complacent to what is going on around us (like the temperature rising in the pot), things will not turn out so well.

I don’t want to have to worry about getting hurt … I want to stay on the narrow path.

That’s what I’ll think about today.