Proverbs 7:24-27 

²⁴Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say. ²⁵Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths. ²⁶Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng. ²⁷Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death.

Wild Boar

            “They are here! There are here! Call that guy!” The man rushed inside and told his wife to call the person who is an expert of trapping wild boars. Earlier, the couple was advised that wild pigs were spotted near their property. The expert came and set up several traps and caught all the wild boars. You may view online videos on how experts set up their traps and catch a number of wild boars.

            Foods that pigs love to eat like: corn and peanuts are most common baits to trap wild boars. Similarly, human weakness is used to ensnare us. Immorality is sin, and not a few may fall into immorality because of natural human sinfulness.

The Scripture warned against false teachers who were trapped into wickedness in 2 Peter 2:13-15, ¹³They have caused many people to suffer; so they themselves will suffer. That is their pay for what they have done. They take pleasure in doing evil things openly. So they are like dirty spots and stains among you. They bring shame to you in the meals that you eat together. ¹⁴Every time they look at a woman they want her. Their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lead weak people into the trap of sin. They have taught their hearts to be selfish. God will punish them. ¹⁵These false teachers left the right road and lost their way. (ICB)

            They are trapped by wickedness; they also ensnare others to join them into immoral bondage. Individuals who do not have eternal purpose in life will most likely fall into a trap of wickedness. Spiritual warfare should never be ignored. Bad elements of society are trying to recruit anyone who may subscribe to them.

We can have life to its fullness in Christ. Do not to stray away from him.

1.  Stray

²⁴Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say. ²⁵Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths.

            Most often, immorality breeds in the darkness where reckless victims may probably stray. The term “stray” implies “no direction, don’t know where to go, or lost along the way.” They just go with the flow of current aimlessly. Undesirable circumstances may happen to anyone who doesn’t know where they are going.

            If we are sensible and prayerful, do we expect the Lord to lead us into his purposes? Somehow, we can be oblivious and unmindful of our mission purposes. Will the Lord still redirect us to his purposes, if we are inattentive or indecisive?

King Saul

            We are not always decisive, but God can utilize even with indecisiveness.

            Before he was anointed as the first king of Israel, Saul was indecisive. His family was not ordinary. They have servants, but his servant was more decisive than Saul. It narrated in 1 Samuel 9:3-8, ³Now the donkeys belonging to Saul’s father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys.” ⁴So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and through the area around Shalisha, but they did not find them. They went on into the district of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. Then he passed through the territory of Benjamin, but they did not find them.

⁵When they reached the district of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with him, “Come, let’s go back, or my father will stop thinking about the donkeys and start worrying about us.” ⁶But the servant replied, “Look, in this town there is a man of God; he is highly respected, and everything he says comes true. Let’s go there now. Perhaps he will tell us what way to take.”

⁷Saul said to his servant, “If we go, what can we give the man? The food in our sacks is gone. We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?”

⁸The servant answered him again. “Look,” he said, “I have a quarter of a shekel of silver. I will give it to the man of God so that he will tell us what way to take.” 

            His father told him to take with him a servant. Why? His father knew that Saul needed someone to decide. When they cannot find the lost donkeys, the servant compelled Saul to ask help from a man of God (Prophet Samuel). Still Saul argued that they have nothing to give the man of God in return for the help. Again, the servant was also prepared. He had money ready for emergencies.

            Indecisively, Saul agreed with his servant, and he was anointed first king of Israel. Our lesson is: When we are not very sure, it is best to seek help from God. Meditatively, let’s reflect on what Jesus Christ declared in John 14:6. ⁶I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Christ is concerned of our eternal life, and he must be concerned also of our practical life. When we follow his instruction, we experience life in its fullness. With Christ as our way, we could not stray, brought down or slain randomly.

2.  Slain

                ²⁶Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng.       

      ²⁷Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death.

            Pertaining to adulterous woman, victims stray into her path. They can be trapped by her smooth talk and attractive appearance. When it says that those who wandered aimlessly into her path were led into a chamber of death, victims may not be mindful how angry the husband of an adulterous woman could be.

            It is not isolated case. Several prominent individuals who fall into adultery have destroyed their reputation and career. And this is very true among religious leaders also. The warning against adultery was written for religious people but not necessarily exclude people who are not religious. Adultery is not selective.

            Do you agree that adultery practically illustrates unfaithfulness to the Lord?

As we avoid the path of adultery, pray for discernment to avoid anything that causes unfaithfulness to the Lord. Apostle Paul warns in 2 Corinthians 11:2-4: ³Just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. ⁴For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.

The Corinthians had exemplified how vulnerable we could be as Christians.

            The Lord Jesus compared believers to sheep. Sheep are not very mindful of surroundings and directions. Instinctively, sheep can be easily attracted by green grass. Sheep becomes easy prey for wild animals when they stray from the flock.

Similarly, our human tendency may crave for greener pasture. Naturally, we are also inclined to seek pleasure and stray from God. How can we avoid that?

 We are encouraged to have fellowship in Hebrews 10:23-25, ²³Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

We don’t know if Christ returns anytime from now. It is best to be prepared and expectant of his advent. Naturally, we can be fascinated and follow a current fashion. Human cravings of this world are appealing to anybody. To be attracted to things that are not pleasant to the Lord should not be taken for granted.

We need inspiration of the Lord always. Anytime, we can be unfaithful to him.

Pray to regularly attend congregational assembly, midweek or Sundays.

There will always be temptation out there, but we may avoid it and not victimized by our natural sinfulness when the Holy Spirit of Christ is active in our life.

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