Void of Understanding - Part 2

The smile was still on his face as the vehicle pulled out into the road and moved away from where he stood. Throughout the remainder of the journey, though I pondered his story I soon forgot about it.

However, meditating on the following passage from the seventh chapter of the Book of Proverbs recently, the story of Alex came back to me:

"...the strange woman, ...the stranger which flattereth with her words ...I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house, In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night: And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart." Prov.7:5-10


Why would the young man be said to be void of understanding? Because he sort of deliberately passed by the corner of the strange woman. And when he was about to do this, as well as when he was actually doing it, he told himself it really didn't matter after all he was just passing by.

So the Alex (of before) passed by the the wallpapers of the half-naked women in his room; when he was going through the items in his cellphone he also passed by them; and even when he listened to those sensual music tracks, it didn't seem to matter to him because as far ashe was concerned, he was just passing by.

But whose corner? The corner of LUST on the street called Self-Deceit.

That is how it starts!

Oh yes, you never intended to fall. You thought there was no harm in passing by. But you ended up going the way to her house.

When you saw no harm in passing by her corner, it was yet twilight. You could still see ahead a bit so you thought there was no harm there and if there was, you would see it and quickly turn back or away. So you approached the corner, your emotions strangling the strength out of your will like a boa constrictor does its meal.

As you got closer and closer, the twilight of evening was turning to the blackness of dark night, yet you pressed on. The farther you went, you noticed the sun of righteousness disappearing behind the horizon, its sunlight fading out; still you went on.

You tell yourself you are quite familiar with these streets and alley-ways. "I will pass through that shortcut by her house, that bypass named Self-Conceit, then I shall link up with the Main Street and head home," you say.

But suddenly you find yourself at the doorstep of her house. That door you have gotten familiar with. Without a moment notice, before you turn to grope back in the darkness onto the street of righteousness, she jumps out with a lamp to complete the scenery.

She comes out of her house with the attire of a harlot. Raising the lamp to your face, she looks into your eyes and she reads your lustful emotions, then with subtlety of heart she convinces you she can meet your desires.

Meekly you follow inside-- her captive. You are no more yourself for your passions ride over you in strong waves. When she is through with you, you suddenly find yourself on Remorse Avenue. You do know what happens after that, don't you? I can bet you SURE do!

Who should be blamed? You, of course! Because you lacked understanding, you thought that it was trouble, only when she meets you at the corner. You didn't realise that being unwary, your desires can land you at her doorstep. She did not entice you at the corner. Your lust drew you down to the doorstep of her house to be enticed, then you fell into the temptation.

It is the same process that transpires in acting out of annoyance, and in lying, and in stealing, and in all the other sins. When someone says something hurtful to you and you begin to dwell on those words in your heart then you tell yourself, "let me just reply him a little so he knows I am not a fool," you are just passing by the corner of WRATH.

When you lie to hide a little bit of information, you may even convinvce yourself that it is for the greater good, in that, maybe you are trying to protect someone from the hurt of the truth; I tell you, you are passing by the corner of LIES.

When you take what does not belong to you and you tell yourself you will replace it as soon as possible, or you convince yourself that the owner does not really have need of it; then you are passing by her corner.

For how long would you continue like this? How long will you be like that young man.

Thank God, Alex got understanding. He had to do away with all the pornographic materials around him. He understood he had to flee from every appearance of them, he got to know that avoiding the corner of the strange woman was not an option, it was a command.

That was the only alternative.

I want to encourage you today: get understanding! GET understanding!! GET UNDERSTANDING!!!

Shalom.


THE END