Consequences

Proverbs 5:4 (MSG)
But it won't be long before she's gravel in your mouth, a pain in your gut, a wound in your heart.


Oh man...here it is...the result of responding to the seductive woman.  None of these options sound very appealing.  I mean, the last time I remember chewing on some gravel was....wait a minute, I've never chewed on gravel...there must be a reason for that.  I'm thinking broken teeth, sliced up mouth, and absolutely no taste here, so probably pass on that one.  A pain in the gut is not my first choice of illness...in fact the stomach flu is at the bottom of my list for sicknesses to endure.  Finally, a wound in my heart sounds deep and extremely serious. 

Nope...I wouldn't want any of these consequences!  Not for myself, not for my husband, not for my son, and not for my daughter.  Praying tonight for the God of heaven to encamp around men (especially married ones) and guard them from the smooth talking ways of the seductive woman.  Also asking the Lord to strengthen each of us by the power of His Holy Spirit to stand firm in His word. 

The Seductive Woman

Proverbs 5:3 (MSG)

The lips of a seductive woman are oh so sweet, her soft words are oh so smooth.

Brrrr.....who let the cold back in!!  Gee wiz!  Temperatures are hovering in the forties today and are supposed to dip into the twenties over night!  That's a hard pill to swallow after yesterday's gorgeous day....oh bother.  My cat pictured here..

wasn't too impressed either.  I guess when she found out it was cold and rainy and ...a Monday...she slyly snuck inside (where she doesn't usually get to be), curled up in this tight ball, and buried her face under her arm hoping to go undetected with the naked eye.  You know that theory that if I can't see you, then you can't see me.  I left her alone for much of the day...pretending not to see her. 

Yes, I confess, I'm stalling.  When I read this verse today, my mind began playing the words over and over again.  Quite the opposite of my kitty cat is this woman described in the passage above.  She isn't hiding and hoping not to be seen.  Instead, she is wanting to draw attention to herself with the well defined intention of luring in an unsuspecting prey.

I am reminding myself, that a few verses ago, the writer told me that I needed to pay close attention, because he was going to give me wisdom.  Well, here we go.  Right out of the gate, he is telling me to watch out for this type of woman.  Since, I am a woman, I am left to apply it to myself.  I do not want to be this type of smooth talking, attention seeking woman....not even a hint of her.

I have enjoyed a wonderful marriage to the same amazing man for almost twenty two years now.  I am certainly not perfect, and thankfully he isn't either, but we are committed to one another and our family.  The key to that success falls squarely on our faith and reliance on God.  Through His word, prayer, worship, and fellowship with other believers, He has allowed us to travel up and down hills, across valleys, and on top of mountains together.  We have had to work at it sometimes....(because of his imperfections...teehehee..just kidding), but we are determined to remain under the umbrella that God has opened for us~side by side through thick and thin.

Praying tonight for my marriage and each couple represented that might be reading this post.  I am asking the Lord to empower us and give us eyes only for one another.  That He would knit us together with our partners and open the lines of communication, so that we can be united to one another in all areas of our lives.  Finally, that God's name would be glorified through our families, and the net effect would be to draw others to Him by the example of our bond and love for each other.

May The Lord Bless You And Keep You

Proverbs 5:2 (MSG)
Then you'll acquire a taste for good sense; what I tell you will keep you out of trouble.

Ahhhh....Sunday....and what an amazing Sunday it was.  Absolutely beautiful inside and out!  The sun was shining brightly again and the warm wind was blowing strongly.  As the morning service  came to a close, our Pastor shared with us that he would like to begin speaking a blessing over us before we leave every Sunday just as Aaron spoke a blessing over the Israelites in Numbers chapter six.

It was one of the most touching and heart felt blessings that I have ever heard.  The words washed over me like a cool spring of bubbling crisp water.  I want so badly for you as you are reading this to experience the love that he expressed to us.  At first when I thought about blogging this, I figured it was pointless since you weren't there in person to hear it....but then I remembered....the Pastor spoke God's Words....not his words or my words, but God's Words!  God's powerful, transforming, regenerating Word! 

So, I decided to pass on the blessing that he placed on us, in faith, knowing that because God's Words are alive and availeth much....you will experience God's love through them, as I did.  This scripture has also been set to music and was played at the close of every service when I was a child in the church I grew up in.  The melody flooded my mind as he spoke as well.

I'm praying that God will richly bless you tonight~and "keep you" out of trouble as the Proverbs verse above says.

The scripture is from Numbers 6:24-26 (ESV)
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

The Way He Sees It

Proverbs 5:1 (MSG)
Dear friend, pay close attention to this, my wisdom; listen
very closely to the way I see it.

What a beautiful day we had here today!!  Warm and sunny.....not a cloud in the sky and 74 degrees.  It was such a welcome change from the dreariness of the past week. 

Tonight's verse gets my attention in a huge way.  This is the beginning of a new chapter, so I can't wait to hear the way the writer of Proverbs "sees it."  Those words are very intriguing to me, because our perception of things.....or the "way we see it," determines how we will respond to our surroundings.  If my perception of what's going on around me is distorted, then I am frequently going to  be responding inappropriately to those circumstances.  I have to have His perception of wisdom, to be able to make wise decisions in every area of my life.

Praying tonight for continued revelation of His wisdom and the perseverance and strength to fulfill His purposes through my life.

A Cloud Of Dust

Proverbs 4:27 (MSG)
Look neither right nor left;  leave evil in the dust.

I used to have a very precious Great Aunt and Uncle who lived out in the country in the Missouri farming community.  They have since gone on to be with our Lord, but we frequently enjoyed long visits with them.  Several summers, in fact, my Mom and Dad would let me go there and stay for an entire week. 

There are many special memories that I have of the time spent with them in their little farm house.  The smell of freshly mowed fields, the taste of home made ice cream, the ear piercing sounds of the insects at night as the breeze gently blew through my room are all bursting to the front of my mind.  But, one of the most profound memories I have is traveling on the dry dirt roads.  I remember riding in the car and looking back at the enormous cloud of dust that we would leave trailing behind our car as we went into town.  The ground was usually so dry at this time of year, that tiny particles of dirt flew in such a thick veiled wall behind us that you couldn't see anything through it.

Leaving "evil in the dust," suggests placing it behind a thick impenetrable wall where we cannot have contact with it.  It conjures up pictures of a complete separation from the schemes of Satan.  Praying tonight that God would pour His Holy Spirit power into my life and allow me to recognize the tricks of the enemy, so that I can remain entirely removed from evil.