The Purpose of Proverbs is to impart wisdom for godly living.

Solomon’s fathering advice to young people and all who seek wisdom will greatly benefit from these wise words.   Discover the source of wisdom, the value of wisdom and the benefits of wisdom.   Proverbs gives practical suggestions for effective living.   They should call a person to action.  The verses tell how you can live in close relationship to Him and offers positive advice that helps you to make good and righteous decisions. –  notes of the Life Application Study Bible

Read along with me…

PROVERBS 7    The title is The Crafty Harlot

Although the bible uses the female pronoun her and she and uses the word seductress to define the harlot.  I’d like to change it up a bit and say the harlot is a male.  Starting by repeating….

My daughter, keep my words, and treasure my commands within you…that they may keep you from the immoral man, from the seductor who flatters with his words.  He takes advantage of her, enticing her and seducing her.

In the actual chapter, the advice is directed toward young men to stay away and take heed, but the advice also goes for young women too.    The study notes state, ‘without aim or direction, an empty life is unstable, vulnerable with too many temptations.  I’ve often said in the parenting class I teach that we should not be ‘freestyling life’ which means going through life with no direction.   The best way to combat temptation is to make sure your life is full of God’s Word and wisdom.  Be able to identify the strategies of temptation and run away from it.  Don’t be full of yourself thinking you can over-power temptation.  You can’t.  God would not be giving us warning about it, if we could beat it with our own human wisdom.  We cannot.  At some point…temptation will win. And you’ll find yourself in situations and circumstance God did not call you too and that you now need help getting out of.  Don’t even put yourself in that position.

Avoid sexual sins.  As we read earlier…sexual sin is destructive.

1. Guard your mind – meaning what you watch or read…fantasies that stimulate the wrong desires.

2. Keep away from environments and friends that tempt you to sin.

3. Don’t think only for the moment – focus on the future.  What you do in this moment could affect your future.