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OceanSide church of Christ
Read devotionals for April 2016
May 1, 2016
Proverbs 5:5 – Her feet go down to death, her steps take hold on hell.
Thought: The end of a relationship with a strange woman is death and corruption. The word “hell” is the Hebrew word “sheol” and indicates the grave wherein the body decays. The strange woman promises much with her words, but her only guarantee is destruction. Many good men can testify about her deadly nature.
Nehemiah 13:23-27
May 2, 2016
Proverbs 5:6 – Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.
Thought: When men take the road to hell, they often contemplate the road of life that was left behind, but it is too late. Solomon exhorts his son to beware of the strange woman and her ways. She has many devices of temptation at her disposal. It is difficult for one to fathom all of her tricks and deceits. It is better to remain on the secure highway than to depart from it and live with the regrets.
Psalm 119:59
May 3, 2016
Proverbs 5:7 – Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.
Thought: Again, the wise man exhorts his children to hear his words. His knows his words are important. He also knows the tendency of children to ignore or forget the words of faithful parents. Children who give heed to their parent’s instruction will benefit greatly in life. They will miss many of the difficulties and hardships experienced by their peers.
Zechariah 7:11-12
May 4, 2016
Proverbs 5:8 – Remove thy way from her, and come not nigh the door of her house.
Thought: Far too many people like to see how close they can come to sin without being burned rather than seeing how far they can remove themselves from sin. They are of the opinion that they can play with sin and not be stung. This was not Solomon’s advice concerning the strange woman. He counseled his son to get “far from her” and to never go near the door of her house. One never knows the end results of the first taste of sin.
II Timothy 2:22
May 5, 2016
Proverbs 5:9 – Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel.
Thought: There are decisions that individuals can make that will radically alter the course of their lives. Sometimes, it is one, simple decision. Solomon warns his son that going into the strange woman’s house will change his life. His honour will be given to others, and the years of his life will be given to the cruel. Again, we need to consider the end of a decision before it is made.
Genesis 25:31-32
May 6, 2016
Proverbs 5:10 – Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth, and thy labours be in the house of a stranger.
Thought: Solomon continues to warn about the consequences of pursuing the strange woman. He tells his son that to do so can impact his financial situation and his occupation in life. The choice to commit sin comes with a rough road to follow. If one could see the negative effects of sin, he would not choose it. This is why Satan masks sin with excitement, false promises, and denies the consequences of sinful behavior.
Genesis 3:4-5
May 7, 2016
Proverbs 5:11 – And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and body are consumed.
Thought: Sin has a negative impact upon the emotions of man and his physical body. Those ruined by sin weep, but at that point it is too late. They mourn over what could have been. Too, the body suffers from sinful practices. Sin beats upon the flesh and makes one old before his time. Many sinners today are emotionally destroyed and “weather-beaten” because of their unholy lifestyle. Look about! They are easily seen.
Deuteronomy 32:28-29
May 8, 2016
Proverbs 5:12 – And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof.
Thought: One of the worst punishments in this life is regret. Regret has its foundation in the memory of man. When one finds himself caught in sin, many times there is deep regret. Part of that regret is due to the fact that the sinner had adequate warning. The individual, however, hated instruction and despised reproof.
II Chronicles 36:15-16
May 9, 2016
Proverbs 5:13 – And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!
Thought: When sin has overtaken a man, one thing that his mind does is reflect. The sinner hears the voice of his teachers and instructors. He knows that if application of the instruction he had received had been made things could have been different. Yet, the past cannot be made the present. Sadly, the individual must deal with the sting of his transgressions.
Numbers 14:39-45
May 10, 2016
Proverbs 5:14 – I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.
Thought: The punishment for adultery under the law was death. The “evil” mentioned in this verse is the punishment the Jewish assembly would inflict on the adulterer. Most of the time punishment was done by stoning. Sinful deeds can, and do, bring death to the transgressor from time to time.
Leviticus 20:10
May 11, 2016
Proverbs 5:15 – Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
Thought: Man has many desires that must be satisfied. One of those desires is thirst. Another desire is one’s sexual drive. God has provided the means for both of these desires to be satisfied. Water should be used from one’s own well in order to satisfy one’s thirst. In like manner, a man’s wife should be the place from which a man receives his sexual satisfaction. Note, these are the sources that God has authorized to be used exclusively.
I Corinthians 7:2-5
May 12, 2016
Proverbs 5:16 – Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.
Thought: When a husband and wife express their affections and sexual desires in a marriage relationship wonderful blessings flow therefrom. These blessings flow from the home into the community and into the world. One of these blessings is the children that will be born into their home. These children will ultimately leave the home and become an asset to the community and possibly to the world.
Psalm 128:3
May 13, 2016
Proverbs 5:17 – Let them be only thine own, and not strangers’ with thee.
Thought: There are some things in our lives that need to be exclusive. One of them is the marriage relationship. Two, a husband and a wife, is the perfect number. Adding others into the mix is too much. When more than two are involved, there are dangers that can harm and devastate the marriage relationship.
Romans 7:2-3
May 14, 2016
Proverbs 5:18 – Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
Thought: Satan’s temptations by means of the strange woman are strong. Those who partake pollute the beautiful fountains that spring from their homes. Solomon provides the cure. He tells his son to “rejoice with the wife of thy youth.” A home that will be blessed is the home wherein the two partners are faithful to one another.
Hebrews 13:4
May 15, 2016
Proverbs 5:19 – Let her be unto thee as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.
Thought: The hind and the roe were animals that exhibited beauty, grace, and strength. Their qualities mirrored the young man’s wife. The young man needed to see these qualities in his wife and allow them to draw him to her for his sexual pleasure and intimacy. Take careful note of the word “always” in this verse. “…be thou ravished always with her love.”
Song of Solomon 2:9
May 16, 2016
Proverbs 5:20 – And why wilt thou, my son, be ravisht with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?
Thought: The father is not asking his son to explain the benefits of having a relationship with a strange woman. He is really asking: “Since you have a beautiful wife who can fulfill your desires, why would you desire the strange woman?” All the young man needed was at home. He should take advantage of his blessings rather than sacrifice himself to a strange woman. Sadly, all of us fail to see what God has given us to enjoy from time to time.
II Kings 11:1-4
May 17, 2016
Proverbs 5:21 – For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings.
Thought: In previous verses, Solomon explained all of the dangers of the strange woman to his son. He now reminds him of the all-seeing eye of God. If no one else knows what the young man is doing, God does. He sees his wicked and foolish behavior with the strange woman. God records the behaviors and one day the young man will give account of his actions to God. Sinful man has more to fear than just the earthly consequences of his behaviors.
Jeremiah 16:17
May 18, 2016
Proverbs 5:22 - His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
Thought: No one enters into a sinful practice with the intention of becoming addicted. The individual thinks he is just having fun. He is enjoying something that helps him to release his worries and anxieties. Soon, however, he finds the sin has control of him. His sins have taken him captive. The individual becomes bound with “the cords of his sins.”
Psalm 7:15-16
May 19, 2016
Proverbs 5:23 – He shall die without instruction, and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
Thought: To refuse instruction is the same as having no instruction. Many who are taken in sin were taught against such things in childhood. As adults, they also received warnings about their sins from others from time to time. They, however, turned a deaf ear to instruction. They leave the faith in the greatness of their folly and die without instruction. The portrait that is painted for us is tragic and very sad.
Psalm 81:11-13
May 20, 2016
Proverbs 6:1 – My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger.
Thought: In this verse, “the stranger” is a lender. This lender is loaning money to your friend. In order to get the loan, the friend wants you to be his surety. He wants you to pledge that you will secure his loan. If your friend fails to pay the loan, you promise to make the payment. We call this “co-signing” for a loan. This is never a wise deed.
Proverbs 11:15
May 21, 2016
Proverbs 6:2 – Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.
Thought: When a person becomes surety for another, he becomes a slave to the lender. He is just as liable for the loan as the one who receives the loan. There have been many who have back the loans of others to their own hurt. Their own words and signatures brought financial hardship upon them.
Proverbs 17:18
May 22, 2016
Proverbs 6:2 – Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure they friend.
Thought: The one who has backed another’s loan needs to “deliver himself” from the obligation. The stranger, the loan agent, is not going to set him free. The only way to do this is to continue to press upon one’s friend the need to pay his loan. This encouragement needs to be done in the right manner. The right manner is found in the words “humble thyself.”
II Timothy 2:24
May 23, 2016
Proverbs 6:4 – Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
Thought: There are some things in life that are so urgent that sleep must be denied in order to get them done. The father wants to make certain that his son does not suffer the negative effects of suretyship. He knows that once a person is under a financial burden, it is difficult to dig his way out.
Proverbs 6:10-11
May 24, 2016
Proverbs 6:5 – Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
Thought: Wildlife understands impending danger. When the hunter appears, the deer escapes from the danger as quickly as possible. They realize that the danger means a loss of freedom and possible death. Solomon exhorts his son to remove himself as quickly as possible from being surety for another. Much trouble and a loss of freedom have come to those who were surety for their friends.
Matthew 18:24-25
May 25, 2016
Proverbs 6:6 – Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.
Thought: God’s Word teaches man to have a good work ethic. Many times the sluggard and the slothful are confronted. Here, the lazy and indolent are exhorted to look at the tiny ant and “consider her ways, and be wise.” The insect and animal kingdoms have many lessons to teach human beings. There are many things the tiniest of creatures do that humans need to imitate. Sadly, they often act with more prudence than men with brains.
Job 12:7-8
May 26, 2016
Proverbs 6:7 – Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler.
Thought: The ant kingdom is a unique world. It is not composed of grades germinating into a head. There is no king or queen that directs the affairs of the colony. Yet, the ants work. They are self-motivated. They do not have to be forced to labor. This not the case with many human workers. Unless they are supervised closely, they will not work. Imagine! Ants have more sense than human beings.
Colossians 3:33-24
May 27, 2016
Proverbs 6:8 – Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
Thought: The ant knows that she must provide for her needs. In order to do this, she must work diligently. In the summer, she labors hard. She continues to work hard in the time of the harvest. In this way, she is prepared for the long, cold winter months. Work and reward to hand-in-hand. The idea of reward without labor is not Biblical.
II Thessalonians 3:10
May 28, 2016
Proverbs 6:9 – How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of sleep?
Thought: As long as there is inactivity, there are no results. The wise man asks the indolent: “How long will your lack of effort persist?” The Universe is governed by laws. One of those laws is: “In order to have something, a person must work for it.” The spoils belong to the diligent.
Proverbs 13:4
May 29, 2016
Proverbs 6:10 – Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep.
Thought: Here, we see a person who continues to procrastinate. He hits the snooze button one more time. He lounges around the house one more day. He lets others sustain him one more month. He is lazy. He is a leach. He is lacking in ambition and motivation. His life is being wasted hour-by-hour and day-by-day.
Matthew 20:6
May 30, 2016
Proverbs 6:11 – So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.
Thought: There were two main sources of terror in Solomon’s day that brought fear, poverty, and destruction to lives. One involved the robber who violently confronted the traveler. The other was the armed intruder who would plunder houses. The wise man says that laziness is as bad as these terrorists. It, too, will quickly, and, with great surprise, brings poverty.
Luke 10:30
May 31, 2016
Proverbs 6:12 – A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a forward mouth.
Thought: The word “naughty” can be translated “worthless.” A man is worthless because he is wicked. Part of his wicked character involves his forward mouth. His words are contrary to that which is right, good, and proper. His words are corrupt and vile. His words lead to destruction. All need to be warned that such people exist on the earth.
Psalm 52:1-4
Read devotionals for June 2016