Proverbs 2:12-22
All throughout Proverbs it “teaches us how to attain wisdom, discipline, and a prudent life, and how to do what is right, just and fair — in short, to apply divine wisdom to daily life and to provide moral instruction.”
As we take a closer look into Proverbs chapter two, Solomon writes on how important it is to resist sexual immorality and also to stay away from “evil people, from those whose words are twisted,” (verse 12). The way to do that is by gaining wisdom and discernment. The people Solomon warns us about are “men who turn from the right way to walk down dark paths,” and who also “take pleasure in doing wrong,” (verse 13). Have you ever met someone and thought that all they care about is building up their confidence and destroying others’ in the process? Or the kind of person who loves to rebel? That is the kind of person Solomon is talking about, how they “enjoy the twisted ways of evil,” (verse 14). Because they take pleasure in doing wrong (verse 14), “their actions are crooked, and their ways are wrong,” (verse 15). Wisdom, however, will save you from evil people! It says so right here in Proverbs! We gain wisdom through a constant process of growing. First, we must trust and honor God. Second, we must realize that the Bible reveals God’s wisdom to us. Third, we must make a lifelong series of right choices and avoid moral pitfalls. Fourth, when we make sinful choices or mistakes, we must learn from our errors and recover. People don’t develop all aspects of wisdom at once. But we can pray for all aspects of wisdom and take the steps to develop them.
Going back to chapter two of Proverbs, one of the most difficult sins to resist is sexual immorality, which tells us that, “I need it.” Its appeal is deadly. Sexual enticement appeals to the empty heart, making it easier to give into. By looking to God, we can fill our hearts with his love. One thing we can pray for is the resistance of the temptation. In verse 18, it says, “Entering the house leads to death…” which is saying that being unable to resist sexual immorality causes death. Therefore falling into sin leads to death. “It is the road to the grave,” (verse 19). But in verse 20 it simply tells us what to do. We are to “follow the steps of good men instead, and stay on the paths of the righteous.”
What we can take away from verse 21:
- Only the godly will live in the land.
- Those with integrity will remain in it.
- The wicked will be removed from the land.
- The treacherous will be uprooted.
I pray that as you read Proverbs you gain an understanding of what Solomon is stressing to us. That you not only read his words, but that you take them in and receive an understanding to what God speaks through him. I pray that the desires in your heart shift from a desire of this world to a desire of fulfillment that only God can provide.
Photography: @carrlosluna