Prescribing Proverbs – RX Five – August 5th

PRESCRIBING PROVERBS
August 5, 2021

A Proverb a day keeps Untruth away

Proverbs 1:1-6, ‘These are the wise sayings of Solomon, David’s son, Israel’s king—written down so we’ll know how to live well and right, to understand what life means and where it’s going; a manual for living, for learning what’s right and just and fair; to teach the inexperienced the ropes and give our young people a grasp on reality. There’s something here also for seasoned men and women, still a thing or two for the experienced to learn—fresh wisdom to probe and penetrate, the rhymes and reasons of wise men and women.’ (MSG)

Prescription (RX) Five: Hangman

Proverbs 5:21-23, ‘For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and He ponders all his paths. His own iniquities entrap the wicked man, and he is caught in the cords of his sin. He shall die for lack of instruction, and in the greatness of his folly, he shall go astray.’ (NKJV)

It is pretty apparent that everyone is doing their own thing these days. This chapter really focuses on the messiness of adultery and sex outside marriage, as well as the folly of desire for a provocative person and succumbing to lust and trading forever for just a moment today. But I also think we are being reminded that adultery isn’t just about sex and lust; an affair is about any form of unfaithfulness, and that means even toward God and the purposes He has for His children.

Today anything goes. Whatever feels right, looks good, tastes okay, sounds decent is what’s happening, and the operative word is ‘whatever’. But as Christians, we have to be cautious on so many levels, because we cannot compromise our moral compass, yet we are to refrain from judgment and condescending behavior. We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses who are always ready to point at any detected or imagined hypocrisy to excuse their behavior, but we have to be ultra-cautious to not even entertain standards the world is ‘getting away’ with today.

All our ways are evident to the Lord. He sees our hearts and He knows our motives likely even more so than we know our own. For the things that are done in secret are actually not secret at all and likely the one you would most like not to know and see what you do and think and say ‘in secret’ is the Lord.

But there isn’t one thing we can get past His steady gaze, and furthermore, in the long run, if we didn’t have God watching over our choices and our wanderings, and if we were all running carelessly amuck without a caretaker, can you imagine how desperate things would become not only in our personal lives but worldwide? In fact, I like to think of it as Him being my cheerleader, my conscience, my confidante. I think sometimes when I am wrestling with something I know better than to choose, but I’m wanting my way and acting petulant, I think of Him avidly rooting me on, reminding me I can do it, I truly can choose what’s right instead of wrong.

One day all this will pass away, and all that will remain will be us and the Lord. There won’t be the ladders we were trying to climb for success and achievement, the status quo, the relationships we sold our souls to gain. We won’t be striving to be noticed or be somebody or defeat somebody else; we won’t be striving at all in fact. We will have what and who we were and what we stood for, and we will hold it out to the Lord, and it will either be wood, hay and stubble or it will have everlasting qualities that remain. Nothing will have escaped His notice even if our spouses and families and friends never knew or saw our decisions. I wasted a lot of years doing my own thing, and I really hope to have what withstands now in my life to not go up in smoke, but rather be worthy of the Father saying to me, “Well done, My good and faithful servant, well done.”

I encourage you to do your own study of Proverbs as well as follow along with me! How it works: take a Proverb a day (there are 31, so perfect for the month of August) and read the chapter that corresponds with the day. Then stop on a verse that grips your attention. Focus on the verse(s) for the day as it is highly possible the Holy Spirit is speaking to you through what He helped you unearth. It’s almost like a Treasure Hunt! I will share with you this month Golden Nuggets the Holy Spirit leads me to, and I would love to have you share with me what He reveals to you in your mining excavation also!