Not only are we told that we need wisdom and where we can find wisdom, but the Lord also allows us to see what wisdom will do in our lives. It is like the ultimate infomercial. There is a dynamic speaker on the television, he has this wonderful product that he wants to give you. He also tells you where you can find it by telling you about the toll free number or the website. On top of all that he even shows you how your life would be better if you were to purchase this item. Thank the Lord that He is not as cheesy as some of these infomercial gurus.
"For skillful and godly Wisdom shall enter your heart, and knowledge shall be pleasant to you; discretion shall watch over you, understanding shall keep you..." Proverbs 2:10-11, Amplified
As we come to the point of receiving wisdom, it will perform tremendous things and feats in our lives. But first, it must enter our hearts. This entrance into the heart is an extended stay; not only have we received this wisdom, but it has become a part of us. Also, knowledge will be pleasant. Most people want to walk around life not knowing. There is some satisfaction in not knowing, plausible deniability. Who wants to know that the life that they have been living is wrong? However, when wisdom enters the heart to stay, that knowledge will be pleasant because we know the end game.
After all this, we need to understand that discretion will watch over us. This word here is "preserve", a hedging about like we spoke about last time. And understanding becomes the guard in our lives. We need to see that discretion and understanding, in the sense that Solomon is speaking) only come after we accept the wisdom of the Lord. What does this wisdom preserve and guard us from?
"To deliver you from the way of evil and the evil man, from men who speak perverse things and are liars, men who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in darkness, who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil, who are crooked in their ways, wayward and devious in their paths." Proverbs 2:12-15, Amplified
The deliverance and protection is from these men. Men who love to be sinners. It seems by the language of the verse that these men love doing what they do because they know that it is evil. These are men who have deliberately walked in darkness and left the paths up "right standing". Deliberate sinners. Men who do not care what they do as long as they are satisfied. But these men are not the only thing that we are protected from.
"[Discretion shall watch over you, understanding will keep you] to deliver you from the alien woman, from the outsider with her flattering words, who forsakes the husband and guide of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God..." Proverbs 2:16-17, Amplified
Discretion and understanding also keep us safe from the immoral woman, the whore. I have known many good men who have given themselves over to this immorality. Realize also, that this giving oneself over is not just from one being to another. Adultery starts in the heart. "If you lust you have already committed adultery." This giving oneself over also encompasses pornographic material. Now I proud to that I have not ever given myself over to the former but I am guilty of the latter, therefore my ride means nothing. Discretion now keeps me from going into liquor stores that are open late and have very easy access to this kind of material. I do not want to be that guy who hangs around the barber shop for too long, because he will eventually get a hair cut.
"For her house sinks down to death, and her paths to the spirits [of the dead]. None who go to her return again, neither do they attain or regain the paths of life." Proverbs 2:18-19, Amplified
Out of all the sin available to the human heart and mind, it seems that sexual sin is the most deadly. Now understand that I know that sin is sin. James tells us, "For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all." (James 2:10, NKJV) An intertwining of souls takes place as the "two become on flesh." Realize that the Lord does not make reference to the two becoming one because of marriage, rather the two become one because of the sexual act. To have sex with a person is to take a piece of that person into yourself and to leave a piece of yourself. Do this enough times then you will have no more of yourself to give, you will be utterly empty inside, a husk. In the marriage, though you take and leave, you are with that person forever, slowly becoming one.
"So may you walk in the way of good men, and keep to the paths of the [consistently] righteous - the upright, in right standing with God. For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the men of integrity, blameless and complete [in God's sight], shall remain in it; but the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the treacherous shall be rooted out of it." Proverbs 2:20-22, Amplified
Discretion and understand leading to a long life. They preserve and protect against a cutting off. What relative in their right mind wants to be disinherited? Who wants to give up a life of ease? The answer is that no one does. The Lord wants us to have life, and that more abundantly, but all life starts with wisdom that comes only from the Lord.
No comments:
Post a Comment