Sugar and Wormwood

(Proverbs 5:4 KJV)  But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword.

Everywhere we look people are offering wonderful things.  That is the basis of advertising.  Have you ever tried to guess the target audience of a radio program?  Listen to the commercials.  They are aimed at the people the advertising executives believe listen to the program.  At one point I became convinced the audience of the Christian radio program I was listening to were people who had problems with regularity, children with emotional problems and vitamin deficiencies.  Most of the promises in these adds are castles built on sand.  I doubt if your child will get taller taking their snake oil.  I doubt if the lap band will make you sleek and sexy. 

Eventually the sweet promises become “bitter” (4751).  Reality sets in.  The problems continue.  They will never be solved because we look at the wrong causes.  Most of the world’s problems could be solved by applying wisdom based on a fear of the Lord.  Poverty?  If we could remove the lazy habit, the oppression gene, the self-centered syndrome and the “I am poor because I have less than Donald Trump” point of view we would go a long way toward doing away with poverty.  It would not cease to exist, after all, Jesus said the poor would be with us always (more wisdom), but it would be much less invasive.  Name a problem, you will find the same situation.

People become bitter because they have believed false promises instead of seeking wisdom.  The false promises will always let you down.  Some false promises are based on true statements.  For instance:  “This is a fat free food.”  It is true.  The calories are from sugar, not fat.  “Half the calories per slice.”  True, but the slices are half as thick.  Some are based on obvious lies:  “Vote for me and I will....”  The way our system works, one person cannot do much of anything let alone change the world.

So?  Avoid bitterness by perusing truth and wisdom.  Don’t build your house on the sand; build on the rock.  And how about pausing and looking at all the blessings in your life.  When people ask me how I am doing, I don't say, "Fine."  I tell them I am just short of glorious, but I am working on it.