1 My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you;
2 keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;
3 bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call insight your intimate friend,
5 to keep you from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words.
Proverbs 7:1-5
Associate with Wisdom. Befriend Her. Call Her your Sister. Call Insight more than a friend, but an intimate One.
Through Christ and His finished work, we have more than Solomon’s words of wisdom, and more than his commandments.
We have the Word, and it is much closer than being merely with us – it is integrated with us, as we have the mind of Christ.
Whereas once we were called to live by keeping the commandments and teachings, behold, now we have the Word, not merely near us but in us.
As Christ is the Living Word, so we live. As Christ is the ultimate demonstration, manifestation, perspective, and/or form of God’s everlasting love for us, we are so favored, that all of us are the apple of His eye.
The Word is alive in us, as we are alive in Him. Wisdom, therefore, is naturally associated to us. Insight is definitely intimate – rather, we are absolutely intimate with true insight, and more than associated, related, so close with Wisdom.
Men, let us remember this when we are tempted. Let the Rock be our Firm Foundation when the world presses us to be impulsive.
Let the Word be our mainstay when everything else is untrustworthy; Indeed, the Word is our Refuge in times of uncertainty.
We will be tempted, but we will not be shaken; As Christ spoke the Word by the power of the Spirit in the wilderness, so we have the Scripture, and Christ Himself (our Living Word) with us when we are tempted with relief, pleasure, and power.
Through Christ we are delivered from the temptress, and her words are no longer heard, much less heeded.
The Word sustains us, protects us, relieves us, delivers us.
24 And now, O sons, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths,
26 for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng.
27 Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death.
Proverbs 7:24-27
Let us not make the mistake of heeding to arrogance and pride, saying we can take on the temptation and leave unscathed. As it is mentioned in another proverb, you cannot embrace fire without having your clothes burned. And in another proverb, we’re told to flat out flee. From one perspective, that looks like cowardice, but consider that we’re not only fleeing FROM someone, but we are running TOWARD the Throne of Grace in our time of need.
By the grace of God, by the finished work of Christ, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to keep our hands busy with honest work, our eyes focused on the light and all that is good; Indeed, by the goodness of God we are able to set our minds on “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable”; “if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, (we are willing and able to) think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8) Taking it a step further, we are thankful, because our Father consequently protects us from lies, and whatever is dishonorable, unjust, and impure.
Let’s reframe that: As Christ is the Light in the darkness, so He is Truth in the lies, Honor present in dishonorable moments, Justice, Purity, and Love, wherever it is not seen or heard. But even so, it is no reason for us to tarry in temptation – I guess the eventual point I’m getting at here is that we already have so much better in Christ. We already have so much better in Wisdom and in Insight; We already revel in Truth, Honor, Justice, and so on, infinitely superior to what the world presents to us as desirable.
We say we’re moving from glory to glory… I say that as Christ is with us, we’re enjoying heaven on earth as new creations, even in the presence of temptation and falsehood.
It’s true for us, here and now.
15 But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.
Psalms 38:15
We got it so much better. We have all the reason to rejoice – Yes, we have all the reason to rejoice always, to pray without ceasing, and to give thanks in everything. We rejoice and give thanks in everything, because in everything, we see God at work: His steadfast love moves us always, and His faithfulness sustains us in everything – and since we do see His love and His faithfulness, our choice to believe in Jesus Christ (who guaranteed it all) is further validated.
Indeed, once we were in a downward spiral, headed for eventual oblivion of our entire being, into obscurity and nothingness – now, as I mentioned earlier, we have reason to believe and to celebrate; For, indeed, we are moving from glory to glory, experiencing heaven on earth, eternity and infinity even in this finite reality.
That’s something I definitely can vibe with as we go ahead and start this week. I am thankful, now, as in always, of the faithfulness and love of our God, whom we call our Father;
I am thankful now, as in always, of the finished work of Jesus Christ, which absolutely and fully reconciled us to our Creator, that He is with us, as we are with Him.
I am thankful now, as in always, of the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, ever present, ever truthful.
Blessed be the Lord God Almighty,
who was, and is, and is to come! Blessed be the Lord God Almighty,
who reigns forevermore!
Let’s have a good week ahead, folks. God bless you!
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