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Proverbs 5:1-14 Beware The Seductress

Most commentaries associate this section of Proverbs 5 with the most common and widely held definition of adultery, which is specifically sexual sin, but the Latin root word adulterare (a-dul-ter-air) simply means to adulterate or to corrupt something. In ancient times, it was applied to sex outside the marriage bed between any man (married or not) and a married or betrothed woman, thus “corrupting” the issue (baby) from said woman. In other words, since they didn’t have paternity testing, and since fatherhood had legal and moral ramifications, they had a less cavalier attitude about the “Baby-daddy!”

Here again, Solomon uses the image of a woman to illustrate his point, and it’s interesting to me that he can so masterfully enliven the personification of the seductress. He describes her as having lips that drip with honey and a voice as smooth as oil, evoking the portrait of a beautiful woman who entices with sweet words and smooth promises of ecstasies untold.  It’s a powerful, provocative image, one that is meant to convey how dangerous seduction can be, because while she appears to be smooth and polished as sweet as honey, she is, in reality, bitter and distasteful, as dangerous as a double-edged sword, and highly unstable, enticing us down a wayward path that leads to death and destruction.

While I understand the strong legal and moral associations linking adultery to sex, adultery is so much more than just sex.   In fact, idolatry, covetousness, and apostasy are spoken of as spiritual adultery in many places in the Old Testament (Jer. 3:6, 8-9; Ezek. 16:31-32; Hos. 1:2; Isa. 1:21), and we can be seduced into all sorts of corruption. We can be enticed into compromising relationships, into nefarious activities, into revering anything and everything but God. Corruption abounds in this world in many forms, and it’s through listening to the voice of God through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, and steadfastly striving to live the life He would have us live that we may avoid following  in the wayward footsteps of the seductress; a road that leads to bitterness, regret, loss of respect and ruin.

~SLM

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Proverbs 4: A Simple Prayer

Dear Lord, show me the face of wisdom and help me to keep her voice in my heart.  You alone are the master of all that exists; you alone can create with just a word, speak to my heart and create in me the desire to follow your lead. Help me to see and understand with crystal clarity your will, show me the light of your love, that I may share your love and honor your great name.  Amen.

~SLM

 

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Proverbs 4:20-27 Deliver Us From Evil

The goal of reaching wisdom is not enough, we are instructed to hold and maintain it, to know it and practice it. There are so many things in this world that can distract and lead us astray, sending us head-long down an erroneous road. We must guard our hearts and minds, our thoughts and speech against dishonesty and deviousness. For what we hold in our hearts and our minds dictates how we behave and how we live our lives.

Our actions spring from our beliefs, our convictions and inner drives. Wise action is a result of clear thought, and clear thought, which is vital to living wisely, comes from God. Solomon counsels us to seek God first, and with his Holy Spirit filling our hearts, to keep our eyes trained on the goal, which is seeking truth, following God’s path, and keeping his ordinances. This is how we can survey the land in which we live and choose the prudent path for our feet to follow. This is how we “live long and prosper,” how we are delivered from evil.

~SLM

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Proverbs 4:10-19 A Matter of Attitude

It’s all about a mind-set, a way of looking at the world, a pattern of behavior, and how that mind-set affects our relationships.  To get along in this world, to live a long and fruitful life, we must first understand what it means to be wise.  Wisdom is not an innate part of our being; it is something that must be sought after. We are not born with it, we must acquire it. It is not something we find on the beach, at the mall, or hidden in our grandmother’s closet.  It’s the result of quiet contemplation, of seeking the inner voice of God in our hearts and applying his spiritual guidance to the every-day situations in our lives. It is only through our passionate attention to the voice of wisdom that we can understand what is true and right, that we can recognize wickedness and therefore avoid it, setting our feet in the opposite direction from it.  

Jealousy, anger, greed, envy, pride, all consuming lust for anything, these are the precursors to wickedness and evil. When we are ruled by this way of thinking, it is so easy to get sucked into doing the wrong thing, especially if we cannot recognize what is happening to us. We hang out with nefarious characters, who care little or nothing about much else than themselves, we go along with popular trends, we participate in troublesome activities, and we willfully reject what we know to be honest. Evil is like a contagious disease, it infects all that it comes in contact with, and spreads easily. The only way we have to guard ourselves from its effects is to live according to God’s wisdom.

To be wise, we must search for the light; we must carry it in our hearts and hold it high for the sake of others. We must keep it as we would keep a precious and valuable jewel, lest we lose it and be adrift in the dark, getting tossed on every wave that crashes toward us, pushing us closer and closer toward the desolate shores of misery. Wisdom is the light that shines in the darkness, illuminating our way, showing us where to step, guiding us out of the shadows, and into the clear, calm land of spiritual fulfillment.

~SLM

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Proverbs 3 – A Prayer for Guidance

Heavenly Father, gracious and loving source of wisdom, thank you for your guidance and correction.  Fill my heart with the power of your insight and open my ears that I may hear your voice and act upon your instruction. Encourage me to deal fairly and honestly with all whom I meet, and share freely and lovingly the gifts you have given. Help me to hold the difficulties of this life in their proper perspective, to not be envious of those who would hurt others, and to follow only your ways, so that I may stand on the hills of life and shine your light to the world. Amen.
~SLM

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Proverbs 3:27-35 The Golden Rule Applies

If we are to receive God’s wisdom, we must seek his favor, and we seek his favor by honoring others, by doing good for them whenever it is in our power to do so, by sharing with them of our “first fruits,” by watching out for our neighbor and keeping him from harm, by not accusing someone unjustly, or struggle with them when they have done us no harm. We are warned not to be jealous of those who willingly hurt others, to turn our backs on their ways and to not follow in their footsteps – an interesting idea in today’s society where the “gangster” lifestyle is widely emulated, where professional sports figures are paid by how well they cheat, where the truth is twisted and turned inside out for the sake pride.

If we are to actively seek God’s wisdom, it seems that the “golden rule” applies: Love your neighbor as yourself. It’s through our single mindedness to respect God’s laws, to treat others fairly and justly, to give of our possessions, our talents, our gifts, to live our lives in humble awe of God’s power and love that we receive true wisdom.

~SLM

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Proverbs 3:13-26 Obtaining Peace

True understanding and its application to our daily lives is a commodity more valuable than silver or gold and more precious than rare jewels. Nothing we can accumulate can serve us better than wisdom. She forces us to turn inward, to be introspective and to understand the difference between those things which we can and cannot change. When we accept the unchangeable, the unknowable, and rely on trust, on the omnipotence of God’s plan for all things, and have faith in his ability to provide, then we can walk securely, we can sleep soundly, we can have no fear of wickedness when it visits, and we will sit in the seat of sound discretion with confidence.

When we find wisdom and have true understanding, exercising it daily with all whom we meet and in all that we do, our lives become a blessed expression of the holy spirit of God, a sacred song of compassion and love. For it is wisdom which guides us through the obstacle course of life and through her we find peace.
~SLM

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Proverbs 3:11-12 Guidance + Correction=Direction

Proverbs 3:11-12 tells us that we should not disdain the Lord’s instruction or be resentful about his reproach, because his discipline comes from a place of love and concern for us, like loving and caring parents correct and guide their children.

Correction is a natural part of guidance. If we don’t even know that we are off course, let alone how we got there, how can we ever hope to change direction? By listening to the voice of wisdom, we receive God’s guidance and accept his direction. Resenting his correction would be akin to begrudging the GPS for a course correction after we’ve missed our turn. Wisdom is God’s GPS for our lives, and his reproach is the voice that tells us that we’ve gotten off course and need to recalculate our route. Sometimes reprimand is the hardest part of the lessons God has set forth for us to learn, but correction is the better part of discipline, and the dedication to discipline is what gives us accomplishment.
~SLM

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Proverbs 3:9-10 The Notion of Fruits

Proverbs 3:9-10 is a study in giving and receiving; verse 9 covers the giving, and 10 the getting. In a previous post, I learned that a part of being wise is the consideration of getting what you give, of reaping what you sew, and it seems to me that verses 9-10 are a confirmation of this. So we begin with the contemplation of the notion of fruits, first fruits to be specific.

These verses are closely linked with the concept of tithing, of giving of one’s prosperity, one’s wealth. Verse 9 states:” Honor the Lord with thy substance, and give him of the first of all thy fruits:” What exactly are first fruits? Are they the very first red, ripe and juicy tomatoes we pick from the vine, are they the payment we receive for our daily labors, or are they more esoteric concepts? It occurs to me that the idea applies to so much more than just money, and I would argue that our “first fruits” are all of the above. The word substance implies your talents, your time, your knowledge, your love, and If we truly believe that all things come from God, that we are merely the stewards of his gifts, and if we are to honor God with the best part of our riches, then without doubt these things are meant to be given too. Surely we are meant to be generous with all that we are given.

Verse 10 states: “And thy barns shall be filled with abundance, and thy presses shall run over with wine.” So, the concept of paying it forward comes from God. If we want our lives to be filled to overflowing, then we must first share what we have been given. We must give joyously and willingly in the full knowledge and trust that God will bless us greatly for our efforts.

~SLM

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A Prayer for Proverbs 2

Lord God, awesome and holy, let wisdom be my constant companion. Help me to recognize ther voice and to heed her advice. Bless me with the patience to listen with my heart and to understand what is true and fair, so that I may live honestly in the full-flower of your knowledge. Amen.
~SLM