The Proverbs :: A Guidebook for MenSample

The Sixth Proverb has a lot going on. There are warnings against taking on a friend’s debt, what to do if such debt traps you, a few words on the value of hard work, and the dangers of laziness. Proverbs Six also contains: * A list of seven things the Lord hates. * The destiny of a wicked man. * An alarm against adultery. So, where do we even start? What throughline connects all of the wisdom presented to us by Solomon? Let’s look at verses 20-24: My son, keep your Father’s command and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. Bind them always on your heart; fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life, keeping you from your neighbor’s wife, from the smooth talk of a wayward woman. While this section of Scripture focuses on Solomon’s warning against adultery, there is a field guide tucked in here to help you avoid the rest of the snares listed in the text. Back in Proverbs Four, we counted all of the times we had already been instructed to LISTEN , and now we realize the importance of keeping what we have heard at the forefront of our minds. How do we avoid falling into the trap of debt? How do we climb our way out of such a misguided trap once we’ve fallen in? How do we internalize the discipline of hard work and fight against the natural urge to give in to laziness? How do we move through life without succumbing to the temptations that would lead us to the seven things the Lord hates? How do we even elude the seduction of sexual sin? The answer is the same across the board. We keep the teachings that have been handed down close and let them illuminate the paths we choose of correction and instruction. You may not have grown up in a home where God’s Word was taught, and you may not have even had a parent who taught you to live morally, but here’s the good news: in your hands right now is all the wisdom your Heavenly Father wants to impart on you to live a whole and honorable life. Pay careful attention to it, and don’t be persuaded to give even a fraction of it away. Solomon says it this way, “Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched?” Sins like adultery, lying, pride, wickedness, scheming, fomenting conflict, and violence are too costly to leave unattended. Their danger requires a prompt response when we realize we have given in to our sinful nature. Whichever section of Proverbs Six lands heaviest on your heart today, pay attention to that and thank God that He has met you once again right where you need Him most. Heed His wisdom today and ask His help to make the necessary changes, admissions, and amends as your heart becomes more and more like your Heavenly Father’s. — Lord God, thank You. Thank You that You have not left me on my own to live a life according to my desires and decisions. Thank You for once again pouring Your wisdom out freely like You said You would. You know the ways I run from You the most. Help me to see those traps before I find myself in them, and by Your power, to avoid them.