Proverbs 16:7 When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. (AMP)

Do you believe in coincidence. Probably not. So as I’ve shared before Pastor Tom Pelt, has encouraged us to read through Proverbs in January. We are also studying proverbs in our neighborhood men’s Bible Study.

The Proverbs are full of God’s wisdom and each when given any thought returns to us wisdom from God. I have always associated wisdom with God’s truth, but the above verse seems foreign to what actually has happened and is happening for many God pleasing men in our world. And it certainly defies what almost always has been true for God’s people who live in an unjust world.

So if this verse is to promote wisdom in us and it seems rather to stand out as an untruth in the very midst of wisdom and truth, just what am I missing? As I pondered, meditated and prayed on this, rightly or wrongly I began to realize that the shock of the verse caused me to seek God for His understanding in a much deeper way than did the wise truths presented by Solomon with which I agreed. God’s truth is never to be gleaned from only one verse. Wisdom is only gained from the Holy Spirit directed study of it. As I pondered this — this verse was brought to mind:

Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness [moral and spiritual integrity and virtuous character] exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people. (AMP)

So what occurs when a nation ceases to be righteous? Truth becomes confounding. And confounds are a threat in internal validity. Enemies instead of being civil become tyrannical. The Standard for justice becomes a double standard. And men, who in their ways please the Lord, have no enemies who are at peace with them. If a man continues in his ways to be pleasing unto the Lord he will find himself among the persecuted of the Lord.

I’m afraid that although I find myself 99.999% in agreement with the Proverbs, which just may be miraculous itself, that still I am unable to find complete truth in this verse 16:7 of Proverbs, without tweaking it to be true only when righteousness exalts a nation, and unable to be true when the sin of any nation is a reproach to its people.

This was true in the days of the early church. Although until recently it has not been for the US, but unfortunately it is becoming true here, and if here it will be all over the world in coming years.