Proverbs 5:14

I came to the brink of utter ruin right in the middle of the whole assembly.

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What’s up everybody? It’s Saturday afternoon and I’m standing outside of a big old church. This mug is huge, and right now of course, all of the parking lots are empty, as you know it would be.

We all come dressed up with our best Sunday morning or whatever your Sabbath. We come with our best because we wanna present to God and to one another. But still some of us are carrying Saturday night and what happened Saturday night with us…and many times it’s the things that we really don’t want to talk about.

And that’s why this verse hits me right between the eyes.

Proverbs 5:14

“I came to the brink of utter ruin right in the middle of the whole assembly.”

 In other words, this dude was falling apart in public.

Right in church. Smiling. Singing. But dying inside.

This whole chapter is a cautionary tale —about a young man who chased pleasure, crossed lines, kept getting away with it, and ended up with something he couldn’t hide anymore.

Maybe it was a disease. Maybe it was the guilt.

Either way, the secret got out.

And he’s standing there saying:

“I didn’t even realize how close I was to the edge.”

And that’s where this gets real, because we’ve all been there. Maybe not with the same sin—but with that same secret. That thing we think we’re getting away with because nobody’s called us out yet.

But God already sees it…and He loves us anyway. That’s the tension, right? We’re all living in the middle of God’s people, trying to keep the light shining —while a shadow “our shadow” follows us home.

But listen — confession isn’t humiliation. It’s healing. You don’t confess to tell God something He doesn’t know. You confess to tell your soul something it forgot —that you’re unconditionally loved, still redeemable, still covered.

“It’s okay to be human—that’s what you are…just don’t hide your process cause you’ll discover that you’re lying to yourself more than anybody else.

Remember This:

You can’t heal what you hide. And you can’t be free pretending you never fell.

Prayer

Lord, keep me from old mess; feed me fresh wisdom.

Today’s Challenge

Choose one “fresh food” habit today—something measurable. 🚶 Replace scrolling with a 10-minute walk. 💬 Replace gossip with a text of encouragement. 💧 Replace junk food with a glass of water and a piece of fruit . Feed yourself wisely—don’t recycle vomit.

About the Author

Fred Lynch is a creative communicator, author, and Christian Hip Hop pioneer. To learn more about Fred and what he’s up to now…click here or you can find him in all the socials by searching the handle: heyfredlynch

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Be Wise and Be Well...peace.

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