Welcome to this Daily PBJ devotional. Read 1 Chronicles 7 and 8, Zechariah 4, and Proverbs 26, 17-28. This devotional is about Proverbs 26, 17, but we'll come back to that after we read all of Proverbs 26, 17-28. Like one who grabs a dog by the ears is a passerby who meddles in a quarrel not his own. Like a madman shooting firebrands and deadly arrows, so is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, I was only joking. Without wood, a fire goes out. Without gossip, a conflict ceases. Like charcoal for embers, and wood for fire, So is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels That go down into the inmost being, Like glaze covering an earthen vessel, Are burning lips with a wicked heart. A hateful man disguises himself with his speech, But he lays up deceit in his heart. When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart. Though his hatred is concealed by deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him. A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth causes ruin. This is God's word. Verse 17 of today's reading starts with a strong image to make an important point. Imagine a German shepherd walking along the road looking for food because nobody owns it and it's hungry. All of a sudden, someone walks over to the dog, grabs its ears, and picks it up. What will happen? My guess is that the person who picked up the dog will be bitten squarely in the face, and he'll deserve it. He picked up the dog in a way that would be excruciatingly painful for any dog. He also disrespected the dog by picking it up in the first place. Finally, given that the dog is a stray, and verse 17 refers to that, the dog has no loyalty to the stranger who laid hands on its ears. Of course, the dog will lash out in self-defense against someone who's not his owner, who appears to be a threat. Verse 17 tells us that this is what will happen to someone who jumps into an argument where he is not the injured person or the injuring person. Instead of being a mediating influence that he is expected to be, he's going to be severely hurt. Jesus said, blessed are the peacemakers. But that doesn't describe someone who got involved in an ongoing argument without any first-hand knowledge of the situation. Only God knows the real truth. The person who wants to drag you into his or her argument wants to convince you that they are on the side of justice. Unless you're appointed or elected to interpret the law, stay away from somebody else's dispute. It will hurt you and do little to no good for anyone else. Mind your own business is what this proverb teaches. If you found this devotional helpful, go to my website dailypbj.com slash subscribe, enter your email address in the form, and you'll receive an email from me every day starting tomorrow. which contains a link to the daily scripture readings to help you be reading God's Word every day, and a link to these devotionals in audio, video, and transcript form so I can help you apply God's Word to your life every day. This is completely free and you can unsubscribe anytime, so give it a try. Go to dailypbj.com slash subscribe. I think it will help your spiritual life. If you could be one of my monthly donors to help me with the expenses of this project, that would be so helpful. If you would consider that, go to dailypbj.com slash support for more information. Please share this with someone else who might be helped by a little proverbial wisdom to start the day. And may God bless you. Hope you have a great day today.