More Thoughts Regarding The Proverbs...

Proverbs 5:1-13: "My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:
2 That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.
3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:

As most of you know, I am a mom of teenage boys (although Jeffrey just turned 20 yesterday, so that’s one less teenager.) And since all of my kids just had their birthdays in the last month and a half I have spent a lot of time thinking about them getting older. One thing I can say is that Jeff and I have always worked on teaching our children to live in a way that is pleasing to the Lord – and so much of what we have been teaching them comes out of Proverbs.

There is much wisdom in the book of Proverbs; especially for the age that we live, when there is so much emphasis on sex, which has led to so many acts of adultery and fornication. One of the miracles of the Bible is that it speaks to all generations and all people. Those things that Solomon was teaching in the Proverbs hundreds of years ago are still so relevant today.

Sin in the heart of man has been our downfall from the time of Adam and Eve ~~ and our children are just as susceptible to falling into sin as they were.

Even though Solomon is addressing the above verses to a son, the same warning is applicable to my daughter. All of our children need to be taught discretion. They need to know that there will be those of the opposite sex who will try to entice them and lure them into sin.

Read through all of Proverbs chapter 5. It lays out a progression of events that leads to destruction. Then, think about how many times you have heard of people in the news who have fallen into that progression. Temptation lures people by the pleasure that it offers. But verse 4 says, “But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword.”

Moses gave up the pleasures he could have had as the Prince of Egypt and chose rather to suffer with the people of God. He could do this because he had eternal vision and knew God would reward him later.

Hebrews 11:24-26: "By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; 25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward."

The Bible tells us to flee from fornication. It warns young people not to get themselves into situations that would entice them to sin. It tells them to stay away from the wrong crowd.
This is advice that we all need to follow ~ not just younger people. The devil has destroyed many marriages because as people grow older they allowed themselves to be lulled into believing it could never happen to them.

Many honorable men have lost their honor, and are in the news today, as their illicit affairs have been exposed. If they have forgiving mates, they may still have their marriages, but their reputations are permanently damaged.

Sin is progressive, just as on the positive side, righteousness is progressive. Each day, we will become more like our Lord by obeying His Words, or each day, we will become more wicked by giving into sin. Each day I pray that my children will follow the steps that God has for them. That they will not stray off that Godly path. God doesn’t want anyone to end up with a wasted life. The choice is ours.

Deuteronomy 30:19: "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live."