|
|
Pathways Through Proverbs
Daily Devotional
April 7, 2008
Today's Reading - Proverbs 7
Click above for full KJV Online
Today's Pathway: previous - - - - - - - - - - - - next
Click above to go directly to TP
Following Scripture Verses
Proverbs
Chapter 7
- My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
- Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.
- Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.
- Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:
- That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.
- For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,
- And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
- Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,
- In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:
- And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.
- (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:
- Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)
- So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,
- I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.
- Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
- I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.
- I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
- Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.
- For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:
- He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.
- With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.
- He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
- Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.
- Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.
- Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
- For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.
- Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.
Back to Top
Today's Pathway:
You may click on verses for Scripture
As we have mentioned previously, Proverbs 7 tells the sad story of a young man who gets involved in immorality. Numerous poor decisions that led to his demise are spelled out for us in this chapter. One of them is found in today's pathway: he went walking over by her house.
In order to understand the principle here, we must remember that, according to verse 21, the young man never intended to surrender his purity that night. He did not intend to get involved with this adulterous woman. However, rather than stay as far away from her as he could, he decided to take a walk, at night, over by her home. Why did he do that? It is safe to assume that he knew what type of woman she was. Perhaps it was the thrill of being near her. Perhaps he hoped to "sneak a peak" of her as he passed the house. May be he wanted to see if she might be outside and he would get to speak to her. What we do know is that it was not because he wanted to commit fornication with her.
Here is the principle: stay away from places where sin is likely to occur. Don't spend time with people who are going to lead you into transgressions. Don't place yourself in the vicinity of temptation hoping that you will be able to resist. The Model Prayer states that we should pray that the Lord "lead us not into temptation". If that be the case, it would be wise for us not to place ourselves there either.
Think before you act. You don't want to ruin your life, so never put yourself in a position where you might be tempted or encouraged to do so.
Pastor Mark J Montgomery
|
|
