May 22, 2020

The book of Proverbs is a collection of short sayings in the Old Testament meant to instill wisdom in God’s people. As we read, it is important to remember that a proverb is a statement which is generally true in principle, not a universally true promise. Let’s dig into the Word together and allow the Lord to shape our hearts, our minds, and our lives in his wisdom over the next month!

In Proverbs chapter 5 Solomon continues to give instruction to his son, this time concerning marital fidelity. Solomon warns his son of the dangers of adultery and how it ultimately leads to ruin and death, while the wise path of delighting in one’s wife alone leads to life and joy. 

There are many similarities between Solomon’s description of the “forbidden” or adulterous woman and the way the Scriptures describe sin in general. Sin can be alluring and appealing to us. Sin looks like it is going to deliver what we want. Sin gives us momentary pleasure or relief. Sin puts up a good front, but in the end it only leads to misery, brokenness, and death.

Sin is elsewhere described as spiritual adultery against God, so we shouldn’t be surprised that it can have similar results as marital adultery!

Sin makes promises to us that it can never, ever deliver on; God’s promises never fail! We must take great care to remain faithful to him in every way. When we don’t, the result is always misery and its end is death, but when we do the outcome for us is life and joy!

Proverbs 5

Warning Against Adultery

5 My son, be attentive to my wisdom;
    incline your ear to my understanding,
2 that you may keep discretion,
    and your lips may guard knowledge.
3 For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey,
    and her speech is smoother than oil,
4 but in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
    sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;
    her steps follow the path to Sheol;
6 she does not ponder the path of life;
    her ways wander, and she does not know it.

7 And now, O sons, listen to me,
    and do not depart from the words of my mouth.
8 Keep your way far from her,
    and do not go near the door of her house,
9 lest you give your honor to others
    and your years to the merciless,
10 lest strangers take their fill of your strength,
    and your labors go to the house of a foreigner,
11 and at the end of your life you groan,
    when your flesh and body are consumed,
12 and you say, “How I hated discipline,
    and my heart despised reproof!
13 I did not listen to the voice of my teachers
    or incline my ear to my instructors.
14 I am at the brink of utter ruin
    in the assembled congregation.”

15 Drink water from your own cistern,
    flowing water from your own well.
16 Should your springs be scattered abroad,
    streams of water in the streets?
17 Let them be for yourself alone,
    and not for strangers with you.
18 Let your fountain be blessed,
    and rejoice in the wife of your youth,
19     a lovely deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight;
    be intoxicated always in her love.
20 Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman
    and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?
21 For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord,
    and he ponders all his paths.
22 The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him,
    and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.
23 He dies for lack of discipline,
    and because of his great folly he is led astray.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

  • How can we, like Solomon, be faithful to warn our own children of the dangers and miseries of sexual sin?
  • In what ways do we commit acts of spiritual adultery against God? How can we move to respond to His Word and walk in faithfulness to Him today?

Family Discussion Question:

  • Why is it sometimes so difficult for us to avoid doing things that we know are not pleasing to God?

24 thoughts on “Daily Devotional-May 22”

  1. Thank you Jesus for your amazing love and forgiveness. You have been faithful and so good to me.

  2. Oh, gracious heavenly Father, who am I that you would notice? I am from dust and will return to dust, but you, Father, breathed life into me, and filled me with your spirit. May I not rebel against you in the physical nor the spiritual this day. I pray like Jabez: Bless me this day – I do not ask for specifics, for if I did I would either ask to consume on my flesh or I would ask for too little – you know my needs, simply bless me this day. Enlarge my territory – enlarge my positive influence. Fill me, Father, anew and afresh with your Holy Spirit, to overflowing. Strengthen my spiritual eyes to see evil and help me avert from it, to avoid it, to run from it, so as to never cause you pain. I pause, to say thank you LORD for all my many blessings. Now – together, let’s go find one more for Jesus, for it is in His precious name I pray, Amen.

  3. My ways are before the eyes of the Lord. He watches all my paths.

    May I glorify him in all my actions and speech.

  4. Good morning Lord! Guide me in the paths of righteousness for your name’s sake as I rejoice in the wife of my youth on this our wedding anniversary of 44 years.

  5. Dear Heavenly Father,
    Thank you for loving me and for teaching me righteous living through Your Word and great apostles and teachers like Solomom. He had a great heart and love for You Lord and he was so wise in his teachings. His way of directing his son in all things to live rightly before You comes from his deep and abiding love for You, Lord. We all need to have that deep love and respect for You so that we will want to follow in his steps and live a life pleasing to You. We know the wages of sin is death but in living a life for You, we will have Eternal Life. Help me to always be pleasing in Your sight, Oh Lord, I pray, in Jesus’ precious and holy name. Amen.

  6. Dear Lord,

    Forgive me when I stray and seek things that would take my affection away from You.

    Open my eyes, draw me in, and fill me with Your Spirit, I pray. May the desires of my heart align with what You desire for me so I may walk faithfully by Your side all the days of my life.

    In Jesus’s name I pray.

    Amen

  7. Thank You Father for rescuing us…and always providing an escape. Help me to follow that path when sin comes knocking. Amen

  8. Father, thank you for reminding us of the consequences of sin even though we are forgiven. Repentance and forgiveness does not erase the consequences of our sin. Let me be forever mindful of that. David sought to teach his offspring that very fact.
    Father, You are gracious, loving, kind, and gentle, But just as we must discipline our children when they disobey us, you discipline us as well when we are disobedient. Your love is everlasting and we have the assurance of where we will spend eternity.
    Thank you for your blessings and protection from the evil one. In Jesus name, I pray.
    Amen

  10. So often we see the result of such sin that destroys families. This past year I lost sweet neighbors because of just such sin. It destroyed their family unit, causing a marriage to dissolve, a college first year to crash and the home that they knew for twelve years to go on the market and be sold to make ends meet. The innocent wife was also dealing with an incurable disease. Sin causes unbelievable sadness.

  12. How wonderful dear Lord is the truth in your Word. My prayer is that God will help me to always be true to Him and to my spouse. I know when I focus in You, I can rejoice and be content in everything! I haven’t posted a lot but I read and I am blessed by the daily devotionals from the Word, prayers, insights and comments. Thank you for all who shared these truths and testimonies!

  13. Gracias padre celestial por transformar mi vida, darme de tú amor inmenso, de poder ver tus maravillosas creaciones de darme la salud y todo lo que tengo, de saber que tengo un padre amoroso que día a día nos protege y nos llena de sus bendiciones, que nos sacó de la perdición nos rescató y con su sangre nos limpió gracias padre por tu infinito amor, darnos hoy todo el conocimiento y sabiduría para continuar siempre siendo luz en el mundo y sal en la tierra, gracias mi padre amado en nombre y por amor a Cristo Jesús amén ?

  14. Proverbs is such a sweet reminder of God’s loving instruction to us. Thank you, Lord!

  15. Lord, thank you that you always provide a way out! If we keep our eyes on You, we will not be distracted by all the temptations this world wants to offer us. Thank you for your Word, a lamp to my feet, a light to my path.

  16. Heavenly Father,
    Thank you for such awesome prayer warriors that are participating in this devotional. The words that they all have spoken have ministered to me and I hope to all. Jesus, you are a Good, Good Father and I am so humbled and thankful that you have chosen me. Please continue to open our hearts and ears so that we will only hear from you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

  17. Thank you Lord for being so attentive and watching over me, not to condemn me, but to challenge, correct and save me, because my sin is self-destructive.

  18. Thank you Jesus for your words of wisdom that I seek daily. Without the daily guidance you give us, we would go astray. I choose you always as my first line of communication to help me with my daily walk with you. Amen

  19. Thank you Lord for this day and every day you allow me to have on this earth. Help me to be wise and not stray. This world has so many distractions which can lure us to sin against you. I pray for wisdom in my life and that I may always give you praise and glorify you for who you are and all you do for us. Thank you Lord, Amen

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