Category: Morning Musings

Woman holding books while a masked guest offers a goblet in a library

Are You Paying Attention Yet?

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“My son, obey my words, and treasure my commands. Keep my commands and live, and guard my instructions as you would the pupil of your eye. Tie them to your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding your relative. She will keep you from a forbidden woman, a wayward woman with her flattering talk.” (Proverbs‬ ‭7‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭CSB‬‬ – Read the chapter)

With three chapters now left in this opening section of Proverbs, one of the themes we have seen over and over again is this strong exhortation for the reader to heed the counsel and command of the writer; for the son to heed his father. Inasmuch as this is Solomon writing to his own children, though, we can receive all of this as our heavenly Father’s attempt to pass along His divine wisdom to us. So then, how can we actually receive His wisdom? Let’s talk about some ways.

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Older man placing hand on younger man's shoulder while walking on city street at night

Dancing on Hot Coals Will Burn Your Feet

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“They will protect you from an evil woman, from the flattering tongue of a wayward woman. Don’t lust in your heart for her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyelashes. For a prostitute’s fee is only a loaf of bread, but the wife of another man goes after a precious life. Can a man embrace fire and his clothes not be burned? Can a man walk on burning coals without scorching his feet? So it is with the one who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished. People don’t despise the thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry. Still, if caught, he must pay seven times as much; he must give up all the wealth in his house. The one who commits adultery lacks sense; whoever does so destroys himself. He will get a beating and dishonor, and his disgrace will never be removed. For jealousy enrages a husband, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge. He will not be appeased by anything or be persuaded by lavish bribes.” (Proverbs‬ ‭6‬:‭24‬-‭35‬ ‭CSB‬‬ – Read the chapter)

Our culture is pretty approving of sex in just about any circumstance. Relationships today are just assumed to involve physical intimacy. No one even imagines two people being in a relationship and not having sex. There is one situation, however, that in spite of our actively liberalizing views and tolerances on the subject, we still largely do not support. This is the case even in spite of a determined effort by some parts of our culture to normalize it. I’m talking about cheating. That doesn’t mean it isn’t still terribly common, but we don’t like it. Ingrained godly wisdom helps to explain why. Let’s talk about it.

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Older woman and man walking with young girl hand in hand on a forest path at sunset

The Worth of Wise Counsel

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“My son, keep your father’s command, and don’t reject your mother’s teaching. Always bind them to your heart; tie them around your neck. When you walk here and there, they will guide you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; when you wake up, they will talk to you. For a command is a lamp, teaching is a light, and corrective discipline is the way to life.” (Proverbs‬ ‭6‬:‭20‬-‭23‬ ‭CSB‬‬ – Read the chapter)

I once saw a magnet on somebody’s fridge that made me chuckle. It said, “Ask a teenager while they still know everything.” The idea is one that is certainly familiar to anybody who has navigated the journey of parenting. The confidence of ignorance that youth invites is a potent draught. Nobody at that age wants to listen to the counsel of their parents. Even as we grow, though, we don’t get much better at taking sound advice. To do that means acknowledging that we don’t know everything, and for most of us we are loathe to do that. Solomon’s wisdom here is something all of us could benefit from. Let’s talk about it.

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Loan officer helping two clients review and sign a loan agreement

Stay Out of Bad Deals

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*Allow me to give you a quick peek behind the curtain. In my own studying through Proverbs, I’m already to chapter 11. We’ll get there eventually. I’ve written up post seeds through chapter 10. I write those when I study a particular passage long in advance of when I actually write a post to go live. That way, when it comes time to write the rest, I have a memory jog for where I had intended to go at the time. Well, I had intended for this post to go live this past Monday. But I had started working on it back at the beginning of July when I pivoted to summer reruns instead. As a result, it was buried in the middle of a long list of post seeds. When I didn’t see it, although I didn’t remember getting into chapter 6 before the break, I assumed I had and went on. I finally discovered the mix up yesterday. So, here it is a few days late. Enjoy!

“My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor or entered into an agreement with a stranger, you have been snared by the words of your mouth—trapped by the words from your mouth. Do this, then, my son, and free yourself, for you have put yourself in your neighbor’s power: Go, humble yourself, and plead with your neighbor. Don’t give sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids. Escape like a gazelle from a hunter, like a bird from a hunter’s trap.” (Proverbs‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭CSB‬‬ – Read the chapter)

I am not a financial guru. I know a few basics, but when things start to get very detailed, my eyes glaze over and all of the information starts soaring right over my head. Fortunately, those basics are pretty sound so as to keep me out of trouble. Don’t spend more than you make. Invest and save judiciously. Put sacrificial generosity first. Don’t go into debt for anything except possibly a car or a house. As we get into Proverbs 6 today, we’ll find Solomon offering a potpourri of advice. His first stop is bad financial arrangements. Let’s take a look at what he has to say.

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An ant carrying a clump of soil on a dirt surface with a sunset in the background.

The Great Worth of Work

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“Go to the ant, you slacker! Observe its ways and become wise. Without leader, administrator, or ruler, it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food during harvest. How long will you stay in bed, you slacker? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest, and your poverty will come like a robber, your need, like a bandit.” (Proverbs‬ ‭6‬:‭6‬-‭11‬ ‭CSB‬‬ – Read the chapter)

If ants were larger, or capable of self-reflection we’d be in trouble. They greatly outnumber us. It’s not even close. And they’re really strong. And organized. They work really well as a unit. They would take over quickly if they could. It’s bad enough stepping on a fire ant hill! Thankfully, God designed them to be not much of a threat. But they do offer an object lesson, one that Solomon uses here to call us to the wisdom of hard work. Let’s take a look.

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