Know Your Temptations

(Pro 2:16 KJV)  To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;

The Living Bible combines this verse with the next and, if you carefully clip, it starts off with a warning about flattery.  It tells us that only “the wisdom from the Lord” will keep us from disaster.  Since I have never been approached by a prostitute, at least in my knowledge, I don’t need advice to avoid them but other temptations are always present.

So the heart of the reminder is still beating strong.  The best defense we have against defeat and compromise is being saturated with the things of God.  I seek that daily in Psalms and Proverbs but you can find it almost anywhere in scripture.  I say “almost” because I am currently skimming through a portion of I Chronicles which lists off the names of officials in David’s government.  I am sure that even the Holy Spirit would be challenged to find something inspiring there.

So?  Fill up your tank with God’s wisdom and drive your life for the most effective mileage.  

Veer Away

Proverbs 16:6 (KJV) By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.

Evil exists.  It is both static and active.  By that I mean it lays traps that we can stumble into and it chases after us.  There may be times when people are overwhelmed by the physical force of evil such as being caught in a riot or being the victim of a murder but most of the time evil is something that can be avoided.

The word “departed” here is unfortunate.  The idea is not that we are trapped in an evil maze and walk out.  The idea is to turn aside from evil that we see ahead of us.  Think of a pothole on the street or a board in your lane on the freeway.  If you are watching and alert you can avoid them.

The fear of the Lord keeps us alert.  It teaches us that hitting a pot hole is not a good thing to do.  It guides our actions.

So?  We have an active role to play.  God supplies us with an awareness and gives a warning.  We are to take that and run with it, but run with our eyes open.  

The Best Defense

Proverbs 7:21 (KJV) With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.

When I first read this today, I thought that the King James was once again throwing in a word that had changed its meaning.  I refer here to the word “forced”.  The NASB talks about this young man being seduced.  That misses the point.  The word means exactly what the King James says.

There are forces out there that will try to compel us into sin.  They are clever.  They have many tools.  They have great resources.  Don’t think you’re going be able to walk close to the fire and not get burnt.

So?  What do I take from this?  Do everything you can to avoid situations of compromise.  Here it’s the compromise of fornication and sexual attraction.  You might be more susceptible to financial compromise or to the seduction of materialism.  There are many possible ways in which evil can try to penetrate your soul and force you to sin.  Do your best to avoid it.  Check your path carefully.  Look under your bed before you go to sleep.  And trust that God will give you the grace you need.  

On the Other Hand

Proverbs 18:14 (KJV) The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?

The teaching of this proverb is clear.  I think we understand it.  We know what it is to have the Holy Spirit speaking to our inner man, and taking us through struggles and victory.  But my mind wanted to put a different spin on it this morning.

It occurred to me that one of the times that we tend to really get wonky in our faith is when everything is going sparkles.  When all is well.  When there’s nothing to complain about.  You may never have those times but they do exist and I’m here to tell you that I think people drift away from their faith and their commitment more in times of plenty than they do in times of struggle.  Maybe you haven’t had that experience.

So?  Rejoice in the presence of the Holy Spirit when you’re going through infirmity.  Rejoice even more when the Holy Spirit remains rock solid within you during times of success.  Resist the temptation to pull out a plum and say what a good boy you are.  

She’s Everywhere

Proverbs 7:12 (KJV) Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)

What proverbs is telling us in this chapter is a literal story of seduction.  Since I am not a young dude out looking for some action, it doesn’t penetrate deeply on a literal level.  However, as I look at this verse, I see some figurative applications that are possible.

Notice that this harlot is lurking at every corner.  Since that is literally impossible I am going to choose to take it as a figure of speech for us today.  I don’t do that to show little concern for fidelity and high moral standards, but just to make it a bigger application.  How many things in our lives seem to pop up in different places, trying to drag us into sin and failure?  What are your big temptations?  What topics are good for Satan to drag you down?  My biggest weak point is gluttony.  That one is obvious to me.  It’s possible that there are other weak points that I am not noticing or choose to ignore.  I need to meditate on that a little bit.

So?  What are your weak points?  Is there some way that Satan is trying to get to you?  Ask God to reveal things to you.  If it’s simply a matter of changing your schedule to avoid them, then get out your calendar.  If it’s a matter of greater discipline, and start working on it.  God will meet you and help you overcome.  And watch those corners. 

Take the Antidote

Proverbs 7:21 (KJV) With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.

If you just read the second half of this chapter, you might have sympathy for this poor young man, who was seduced by the unfaithful wife.  She seems to have all the ammunition.  She seems to have the initiative.  He seems to be that which I like to call, “a helpless pawn in the hands of fate."

His failure is a choice, not predestination.  If you go back and look at the advice, at the beginning, it talks about taking wisdom, and making it a part of your heart.  It talks about the pupil of your eye, or the apple of your eye, being the place where God‘s commandments and laws should pass through, and then make your way into you.  There’s repeated reminders to spend time, knowing what God has told us to be into.  Obviously, this young man has chosen to ignore that advice.

So?  The problem wasn’t that she had such deep satisfying positions or arguments.  The problem is that he didn’t have the foundation that has been offered to him.  We can resist the wiles of the devil.  We can walk the path of truth.  But it only happens if we make the choices that lay the foundation.  Make this a day of wisdom. 

Refreshing Sci Fi

James 1:2 (KJV) My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

(Proverbs 1 also read)

Usually when anything having to do with Jesus is mentioned in science fiction it is a kind of a stereotype.  It is an insult.  It is some kind of condemnation of the followers of Jesus as narrowminded, bigoted, and so forth.  A book by John Ringo had a refreshing different approach. It had a pastor, who had up to that point been totally orthodox, giving the text for his sermon.  He quoted James 1:2 and talked about how this means not really temptation but tests meant as challenges to growth.

“Now, ‘temptations’ here are ‘peirasmois,’ which means ‘trials.’  The wise old bishop of Jerusalem here is not saying that we should want to be lured into sin, no.  He’s saying we should be happy to be tried.  He’s saying that there is something about the human condition that needs serious testing.  He’s telling us that we shouldn’t want life to be too easy, we should embrace life with joy precisely because it is difficult.
    “Now what on Earth is old James talking about?” p. 265

I found that coming to mind today as I was thinking about the things of God and worshiping.  In my mind it had to do with certain trials that I am facing, and made me think about the Biblical definition of love.  And that points out that love is long suffering.  That is the meaning of patience in I Corinthians 13.  It also goes on and talks about not acting unbecomingly.

So?  Life is full of challenges.  Life is full of bumps and curves.  Love is to be applied in the reality of life not just in the theory of living.

Ringo, John.  Beyond the Ranges.  Riverdale, NY:  Baen, 2024. 

Have a Cookie

(Pro 9:17 KJV)  Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.

As I read this verse I think about how good that bit of cake was that I sneaked when no one else was looking.  It is possible that one reason it tasted so good was that the quantity was small and my taste buds were not satiated.  But there is a more spiritual dimension.  There is something in us that feels victorious when we get away with something.  Picture the feeling when you go to a yard sale and see some tarnished do-dad that you can see is made of sterling silver.  You get it for pennies.  They are happy.  You are delirious.  I imagine a thief gets the same rush.

But the thief will feel different later.  There is another verse in Proverbs that reminds us of this,

(Pro 20:17 KJV)  Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

So?  Often we know we are doing wrong and do it anyway.  Other times the awareness does not come until later.  I would guess that sometimes we only know if we have messed up at a later time.  That will be the time for confession, forgiveness and restitution.

Obvious Pitfalls

(Pro 22:5 KJV)  Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.

Don’t people see the pitfalls that are in plain sight?  Think of the obvious ones:  STD, DUI, HIV and the list goes on.  Yours might be different than mine.  It would seem obvious to me that a lack of honesty will eventually come back to bite you.  I have always been leery of using my credit card thoughtlessly.  I never leave a gun on the car seat.

Some of the blindness is due to arrogance.  Some is conditioning.  On occasion it is due to basic ignorance.  The traps are still there and deadly.

The cure for the traps is also available.  I think the best place to start is in the written word of God.  Learn the principles and then go on in your reading.  It will help you decide who is blowing smoke and who is setting a trap.

So?  Today is a good time to start. 

Catch of the Day

(Pro 7:23 KJV)  Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.

I have never set a “snare” (6341a).  I am not sure I have ever seen a snare in real life.  That does not mean that I have not been close to one.  I have read about them.  I assume that snares in hunting are usually put in places where the game might pass.  If you are after rabbits you don’t set the snare in a tree or on top of a bush.  I would also assume that the snares are camouflaged some way.  The rabbit should know that the hunter is out to get him.  Believers should know that Satan is out to get them.

Some snares are just a matter of chance.  Have you ever been making your way through a crowded room and an electrical cord reaches out and wraps itself around your foot?  If you are having a good day you notice, stop and untangle.  If the clutter gods are after you then you may trip and fall.  In that case you could have been saved by paying more attention, moving slowly or having faster reflexes.  Just as your friends will laugh when you get caught, Satan will rejoice at what he has unexpectedly caught.

So?  Be alert.  That means knowing the dangers.  Here the reference is to sexual sin.  Proverbs also deals with sloth, lies, credit, dishonesty in business, and the list goes on.  Many of these are avoided by simple, righteous living.  Others might catch us when we are looking the other way.  Do not despair.  You are not a bird designed for the dinner table.  God will always be waiting for repentance and confession with forgiveness and restoration. 

A Simple Principle

(Pro 25:23 KJV) The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.

What is so hard to accept about the principle of “cause and effect”?  Why is it that so many of us think that we can do something without results that have been around forever?  I recently finished reading Mike Lindell’s autobiography.  One of the observations I had is that people get sucked into the drug culture with so much ease.  All you need to do is look around.  All you need to do is observe the ruined lives.  If you don’t have anyone you know then take a drive through the middle of any large American city and observe the people living on the street.  They did not just wake up one day and say, “I think I will go live in desperation and poverty for the rest of my life.”  No, it started with the simple belief that just because this substance ruined someone else’s life it won’t effect me.

Yes, it will.  It doesn’t matter what the substance is.  It could be just an idea or way of doing business.  Rarely is the first step a death producing overdose of a hard drug.  

So?  Choices have consequences.  In His mercy God has provided a way of escape but that doesn’t mean that your bank accounts and the respect of your children will be restored. 

One More Time

(Pro 7:18 KJV) Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.

Just this once and then I will stop.  How many times have I said that to myself?  How many times have I stopped?  One answer is, “Many” and the other time it is “Almost never.”  Years ago I lost a lot of weight.  It is slowly coming back.  I am still fighting the battle.  Usually I just give up and start eating again.  This time every pound has to fight its way kicking and screaming onto my body.  I like to blame others for the gain.  You know the drill, they fix your favorite desert.  They want to go to a fancy restaurant.  It is Christmas.  I keep telling myself those are the problems.  

Wrong.  The problem is that I always go for that second portion or continue the lack of restraint when I am by myself.  It is a continual parade of “just one more.”  It doesn’t work that way.

So?  Don’t give in or give up.  I know that is easy to say and hard to do.  It is still doable.  God is patient and forgiving. 

Don’t Be the Target

(Pro 6:5 KJV) Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

My son is a dreamer.  At one point he lived in a state that did not allow him to go hunting.  The deer were protected, at least during certain times of the year.  You needed to have a license.  The one exception was if the deer were eating your crops, then you could shoot.  His solution?  Find a nice safe area with a hill behind to absorb any misses, plant some corn at the bottom and wait for the unsuspecting deer to show up to dine.  Legal.

Understand that the forces of evil are planting corn to attract you to the hunt.  While God may protect you as you avoid evil, that shield may not be applied if you go looking for a loophole.

So?  Avoid evil.  Avoid the appearance of evil.  Avoid the seeds of evil.  You have the guidelines you need:  The Word and the Spirit. 

Not So Innocent

(Pro 7:13 KJV) So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,

I am not a hugger.  I’m not and I feel no guilt for that.  I can hug if I run into a hugger but I keep it as short as possible.  I make exceptions for family members.  Hugs were part of our morning routine when I had morning duty with the toddler.  Sometimes that game was for me to chase her until she was willing to give up.  Great times.  But I am not a hugger.

I am not a hugger because of what this verse is illustrating.  Just as few people get addicted to marijuana without smoking a cigarette, no one becomes an alcoholic without taking a drink and you don’t get fat by not eating, few people get caught up in sexual sin without some “innocent” contact.

So?  Be a prude.  There is nothing to lose by doing so and an eternity to lose if you get caught us in sexual sin. 

Minion Avoidance

(Pro 7:12 KJV) Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)

We really need to consider the context here.  If you go back a few verses you find a young man out looking for something, or someone.  Now you see that the young woman is out looking for some action too.  If either agent had been busy that night then the meeting would have never taken place.

Having said that you need to realize that evil is not going to stay home.  It is looking for you and knows your habits.  Count on it.  The key person in keeping out of a brand of trouble that ends up in Sheol of verse 27 is you.  You need to develop avoidance behavior.  If they can’t find you then you won’t be tempted.  But remember, Satan and his minions will not give up.  Also remember that his minions are not those cute little yellow creatures the bumble around a movie screen.

So?  Act like you are on a journey and plan your route.  Avoid certain off ramps and parts of town.  You have the knowledge to do this. 

Self Games

(Pro 7:8 KJV) Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,

I hope you are not filled with sympathy for this young man who seems to be trapped by a loose woman.  Don’t be.  He seems to have a goal and that goal is this babe who is waiting for him.  Notice that he is heading for her neighborhood.  He knows where he is headed and knows who will be waiting for him.  I imagine he felt he could deny it if he met the wrong person but it was all laid out in advance.

So?  How many times have I talked myself into believing that I am being caught by the unexpected?  Sometimes it is true.  On reflection I can look back and see how I could have done better, no, how I should have done better.  It is hard to live without playing games with ourselves. 

Mail Order

(Pro 11:18 KJV) The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.

Have you ever ordered something on line?  It is not a new experience.  People were able to order things from catalogues before telephones.  It was called “mail order”.  With the advent of telephones you could talk to a nice lady over the phone.  The internet brings little to the process except possible speed.  What is still there is the disappointment of the object you received.  Have you been there?  Am I alone in this?  Somehow it isn’t as shiny, as big, as impressive as it was advertised to be.  If you had held it in your hand in the box store you would not have bought it.

The promises of sin are like that.  The word here is “deceitful” (deceptive NASB) (8267).  Some of that is the crafty nature of Satan and the temptation he throws at us.  Ultimately it is because we think we are going to be the one who games the system. 

So?  Keep in mind that God does not need to mark the cards to know what is in your hand or heart.  Sin has its payoff.  You will not cash in on a win streak.  God is patient.  He is waiting.

Where Do They Get These Translators

(Pro 27:7 KJV) The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

Translators continue to puzzle me.  Compare this verse in the NASB and KJV.

(Pro 27:7 NAS77) A sated man loathes honey, But to a famished man any bitter thing is sweet.

Neither one reaches down to the real words.  Start with the word “sated” (7649) in the NASB.  It is “full” in the KJV, which is much more literal.  It means full or satisfied and this is the only place where it is used with its negative sense of stuffed to being senseless.  It is actually a good thing to be.

Then we have “soul” (5315) [nephesh].  The KJV wins here.  This is a much deeper concept than just the “man” of the NASB.  This is not just a reference to physical gratification. 

On “loaths” (947) both strike out.  The meaning of the word is to trample or reject.  I am sure that loath would cover that but in this context it gives it a superficial feel that will go away in a few minutes when the stomach has digested its overload.  I find it is time for a Pumice Pathetic Paraphrase.

(Pro 27:7 PPP) A satisfied soul finds it easy to walk past temptation.

So?  The best way to reject the temptations of life is to be filled with the things of God. 

Beware of the Nose

(Proverbs 25:28 KJV)  He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.

There was a time when any serious gathering of citizens living together would have some kind of “walls” (2346).  Usually walls would not defeated a determined enemy with a large army.  The walls would just slow him down.  In small towns and villages the walls might be nothing more than a wooden fence.  Picture the TV version of a fort in the west.  The purpose was more to keep out the roving band or hasty bandits than to keep out artillery and scaling ladders. 

That is one of the purposes of personal discipline.  Any of us can be worn down by the determined onslaught of an enemy, be it the devil or our local building inspector.  Discipline is what shields us from the quick raid that is looking for a foothold in our lives.  Thus a conviction involving chastity will shield us from an office worker on the prowl but will do nothing against rape.  Honesty will keep us from taking the money left on a desk but might give in to years of poverty.

So?  We need to daily recommit ourselves to certain standards and disciplines so that the nose of Satan can’t get under the edge of our tent.  The best defenses are deep stakes and a stomping boot. 

Virtue View

(Proverbs 17:23 KJV)  A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment.

I tend to think of a “bribe” (7810) as a bit of sleazy perversion that is used to attract the unscrupulous.  This might imply that it is given out of the “bosom” (2436), or secret place, in order to bring about what is viewed by both parties as a good result.  There is a temptation to think that our view of a situation is the view of virtue and in this one case the ends justifies the means.  Have you ever been checking out at the store and the clerk somehow enters a lower price than you expected?  It is very easy to rationalize that they put in a higher price another time and so it is only fair.  It might even be true but it is the beginning of making excuses and fudging on the strait and narrow.

We usually don’t have the temptation to “pervert” (5186) “justice” (4941) is big steps.  Satan has a hard time getting us to commit the big sin.  It starts small and grows from there. 

So?  Keep an eye out for the little compromises that are offered to us.  Some may be just fine.  Others may be a bribe from Hell.