Although our devotional thought for today is one verse, I hope that you are exercising the daily discipline of reading the entirety of the chapter that corresponds to each day of the month. With today being the 22nd, the scripture reading assignment is Proverbs 22.
We live in a dangerous world that is far from the “Mayberry” world of my childhood portrayed in the old Andy Griffith Shows of the early 1960’s. You 
and I do not have the joy or luxury of raising our families with the naiveté’ of Barney Fife and Goober. Our proverb today, Proverbs 22:3, challenges us to be wise and cunning in a world that is no friend of the Christian or his family.
Proverbs 22:3 draws a contrast between two men who are polar opposites when it comes to discernment—the Prudent and the Simple.
Proverbs 22:3 – “A prudent [cunning; sensible] man foreseeth [perceive; understands] the evil [sin; wickedness; adversity], and hideth [conceal; hide; shelter] himself: but the simple [foolish; silly] pass on, and are punished [condemn; inflict a penalty].”
The Prudent man is a learner. He is a student of the Scriptures [the Wisdom of God] and human nature. His senses are exercised by a lifetime of experiences and he is wary of the wiles and ways of the world. Prudence dictates that he foresees the ways of the wicked and withdraws himself from the consequences of their sinful ways.
The Simple are not learners. They are stubborn, ignoring the admonitions of their parents and godly counselors. They pursue the pleasures of sin and the company of the foolish giving no thought to their tragic end. The Simple rush past moral restraints and headlong down the path of self-destruction.
This same proverb is repeated in Proverbs 27:12, thus magnifying the need to read and heed its truth.
Proverbs 27:12 – “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.”
Be wise. Seek and heed godly counsel. You cannot afford to wear “rose-colored glasses” in a sinful, black and white world!
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