Daily Jewel

by Pastor Carnell, McAlester, OK

“Ho-Hum”
“She threw her arms around him and kissed him, boldly took his arm and said, ‘I've got all the makings for a feast— today I made my offerings, my vows are all paid, So now I've come to find you, hoping to catch sight of your face—and here you are!’“ – Proverbs 7:13-15(MSG)

Are you tired yet of this “scenario?” Have you had enough of listening to how this young man is about to be snared into the spider’s lair? Have you come to the conclusion that Solomon (and/or myself) have exhausted every possible angle this passage can dish out? Are you saying to yourself, “doesn’t this guy have anything else to talk about? Enough already! Are you still reading this? If not, I am wasting my time typing this out because you started doing something else. But if you are, stayed tuned for what I am about to tell you will be worth the time. If you are “tired” of listening to this same old song-and-dance, if you are tired of listening to God’s instructions over and over again then I have some information that you might want to pay attention to—you are exactly where the evil one wants you!
You see, he wants nothing more than to break down every defense you have at your disposal and what is perhaps the greatest weapon we have in our arsenal is the Word of God! As the writer to the Hebrews writes: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12, NIV) If you are tired of the Word, you weaken yourself significantly and the barriers that stand between you and moral defeat increase each moment. His minions are pounding on the wall, attempting to chip out the mortar then removing the wall, brick by brick until they are able to come at you with a full frontal assault!
One of the things that bother me about a number of people is that it appears to me they believe that they have just enough religion to get by. They know just enough of the Word to make others think they know what they are talking about—They attend just enough at church to know what the latest gossip is. They give just enough so they can at least say they’ve done their part. But then when trouble comes at them “like a flood,” they stand bewildered, wondering what happened? How could this happen? How can this be happening to me? Most, if not all, of the world powers throughout history that collapsed and were conquered, fell not so much as from outside invaders as much as it was an eroding from within. Decaying morals, power struggles, has led many down the path of destruction—and that is not limited to nations but speaks also to each and every individual life. Boredom is a power-struggle: The part of the person’s spirit seeking excitement, adventure as opposed to the part that calls for order, regimen and discipline. Satan does his best to appeal that which seeks excitement—the thrill of the chase. He makes Christ (Church/The Word) seem mundane, too rigid, too limited. He wants you to think your life with God is not worth living. Perhaps this is why according to Christianity Today, 66% of the people who attend church on regular basis do not read the Bible on a daily basis. In fact, that same percentage will not read it at all during the week. In the story (if you are still reading) the woman here is promising excitement. She wanted him and dressed herself for the occasion. She wanted him to want her. It has been that same appeal that has plagued us from the beginning:
“When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” – Genesis 3:6
Just as in Solomon’s account, the serpent promised excitement—thrills—not some measly God-life. If only she could have seen and understood the truth that the life she already was living was beyond compare! That is the true lesson. I hope you were reading long enough to see it.
Pastor J. T. Carnell.