Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Proverbs 6:25-35
Prov 6:25-35
Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes; for the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread, but a married woman hunts down a precious life. Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched? So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; none who touches her will go unpunished. People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry, but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold; he will give all the goods of his house. He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself. He will get wounds and dishonor, and his disgrace will not be wiped away. For jealousy makes a man furious, and he will not spare when he takes revenge. He will accept no compensation; he will refuse though you multiply gifts.
There have been countless marriages broken because of infidelity. Some of these are because of a woman who was “on the prowl” and hunted her prey. Others were just the opposite and were caused by a man who was determined to seduce a married woman. From what I have seen in life, most do not fit either of these descriptions but are the result of people getting too close and then one thing leads to the other, until they have succumbed to the temptation of the flesh.
In our modern society, we are often put into situations where we spend more time with a person of the opposite sex than we do with our spouse. It is only natural that we learn to really like this person, or we learn to dislike them. When we like them, it is easy to share things about our personal lives that should be kept private, between us and our spouse only. This sharing begins to lead to an intimacy that can quickly grow into an adulterous affair.
Paul says that we are to make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts. If we see ourselves making it convenient to do wrong, we have crossed the line. This line is in our minds, and it must be set clearly and never even approached, let alone crossed. The closer we get to the line, the harder it becomes to stop what we are doing and not cross it. Don’t be fooled, we reap what we sow!
O Lord God, give me a pure heart and a steadfast spirit so that I will follow your will all my life. Help me avoid the very appearance of evil and not even flirt with the dangers of sin. I thank you for the wife of my youth who has loved me and been by my side in both good times and not so good. She has loved me when I have been unlovable. Help me always love her and show her the respect she deserves, even as Jesus loves his church. Use our home to help others and to bring honor to your name and the name of Jesus. In His name I pray.
Robert
