July 7th, 2014
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

Sex: Its Joys and Dangers

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Opening Prayer

Thank You, Father, for the consistency of Your love and care for me. I know You’ll never fail me.

Read Proverbs 5:1-23

[1] My son, pay attention to my wisdom, turn your ear to my words of insight, [2] that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge. [3] For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; [4] but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword. [5] Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave. [6] She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it. [7] Now then, my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say. [8] Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house, [9] lest you lose your honor to others and your dignity to one who is cruel, [10] lest strangers feast on your wealth and your toil enrich the house of another. [11] At the end of your life you will groan, when your flesh and body are spent. [12] You will say, “How I hated discipline! How my heart spurned correction! [13] I would not obey my teachers or turn my ear to my instructors. [14] And I was soon in serious trouble in the assembly of God’s people.” [15] Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. [16] Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? [17] Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers. [18] May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. [19] A loving doe, a graceful deer- may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love. [20] Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife? Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman? [21] For your ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all your paths. [22] The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast. [23] For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly.

Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Meditate

“Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good” (Heb. 12:10). We need the Lord to correct and chasten us if we are to be his faithful disciples.

Think Further

The father warns against the dangers of illicit sex by asserting that the adulteress’s offers of pleasure will lead to pain (3-6). The painful consequences are: loss of honor, length of life, strength, the fruit of one’s work (7-10), and probably venereal disease (11). As a positive contrast to this he depicts the joys of sex within marriage (15-20). Use of water imagery in relation to life and joy is common in the Bible, based on its importance in the semi-arid climate of Canaan. Faced with these joys it is foolish to go after the deadly pleasures of illicit sex.

Besides this warning based on consequences, the father roots his teaching in “the fear of the Lord” (1:7). In Proverbs the reader is frequently presented with a choice of two ways in life. This lies behind Jesus’ words about the broad and narrow ways (Matt. 7:13,14). The ultimate motivation for not following the wrong way in any life-situation is that God is watching and upholds the moral order (21-23). Making daily life-choices is about choosing whether or not to follow God’s way.

Following God’s way means living a disciplined life. Jesus taught that this begins with our thoughts (Matt. 5:27-30). The son’s words of regret (11-14) make clear that we must take responsibility for the life-choices we make. This is reinforced in verses 22 and 23, with their reminder that lack of discipline leads to foolish behavior. It is hypocritical to pray “Lead us not into temptation” and then not to take active steps to avoid it (8) and resist it (15) as the father here encourages his son to do.

Apply

Next time you face temptation of any kind, follow the father’s advice and turn your thoughts from bad things to what is good, using the list in Philippians 4:8.

Closing prayer

Sovereign Lord, in regard to sexuality, society has sown to the wind and we are now reaping the whirlwind. I pray for Holy Spirit empowerment to navigate through the world of sexual temptation.

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