God Speaks
My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
listen carefully to my wise counsel.
2 Then you will show discernment,
and your lips will express what you’ve learned.
3 For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey,
and her mouth is smoother than oil.
4 But in the end she is as bitter as poison,
as dangerous as a double-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps lead straight to the grave.
6 For she cares nothing about the path to life.
She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn’t realize it.
7 So now, my sons, listen to me.
Never stray from what I am about to say:
8 Stay away from her!
Don’t go near the door of her house!
9 If you do, you will lose your honor
and will lose to merciless people all you have achieved.
10 Strangers will consume your wealth,
and someone else will enjoy the fruit of your labor.
11 In the end you will groan in anguish
when disease consumes your body.
12 You will say, “How I hated discipline!
If only I had not ignored all the warnings!
13 Oh, why didn’t I listen to my teachers?
Why didn’t I pay attention to my instructors?
14 I have come to the brink of utter ruin,
and now I must face public disgrace.”
15 Drink water from your own well—
share your love only with your wife.
16 Why spill the water of your springs in the streets,
having sex with just anyone?
17 You should reserve it for yourselves.
Never share it with strangers.
18 Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you.
Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
19 She is a loving deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts satisfy you always.
May you always be captivated by her love.
20 Why be captivated, my son, by an immoral woman,
or fondle the breasts of a promiscuous woman?
21 For the Lord sees clearly what a man does,
examining every path he takes.
22 An evil man is held captive by his own sins;
they are ropes that catch and hold him.
23 He will die for lack of self-control;
he will be lost because of his great foolishness.
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Proverbs 5:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. God is a good father who warns His children of the dangers of improper or immoral behavior.
2. People need to submit to discipline whether of themselves or from others who are trying to prepare them for life.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Proverbs 5?
Dear LORD God who instructs and protects His children, please help me to pay attention to wisdom and heed wise counsel. Help me to show discernment and learn to recognize immoral individuals whether male or female and avoid them or becoming like them. Make me aware of the consequences of immoral or unwise behavior. May I accept and/or apply discipline before it is too late. Since You, O LORD, see the end of every path I take, please help me to be satisfied with the spouse of my youth. Don’t let me be evil, held captive by my own sins. I don’t want die for lack of self-control or be lost because of my great foolishness. That would not bring You the glory I so desire to give You. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Proverbs 5?
- I will pay attention to the godly instruction of the parents, teachers, or mentors that God has put in my life.
- I will memorize Proverbs 5:21 so that I can remind myself that He sees and knows everything.
- I will look for and seek to be a faithful spouse who finds pleasure in bringing joy to my partner and to God.
- I will, in a kind but firm way, cut off contact with any man or woman (boy or girl) who stubbornly continues to be promiscuous or rebellious against God.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.