Proverbs 5:3 "For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey..."

Lately, I have had numerous conversations with girls and guys about the effects of dating in their lives. Being around mostly single 20 somethings, it is bound to come up. I've also questioned this aspect of my life numerous times, because the Lord has had some interesting twists and turns for me. (I've since resolved this with Him, by faithfully pledging to remain single and without a mindset of pursuit throughout my last year of college, meaning no dates, no cuddle buddies, no sloppy nights out, or friendships that aren't strictly platonic. We're shelving that for a while.)

But I've found it difficult to point my friends to the right path, since I myself have not been perfect. A few of them have said, "I just really want someone to casually hang out with, cuddle with, and have as a companion," or "What's the harm in just kissing someone?" They are trying to find loopholes in the nagging convictions they feel when they're careless, and this is something we've all done. When posed with these questions, I found myself at a loss for words. The Lord says that those wonderful perks are blessedly given to those that do so while following Him, when the motivation for the relationship is rooted in a faithfulness to God. This, of course, doesn't sit well for people that are used to finding people in bars or in very superficial situations. Then yesterday I read Proverbs 5 which is all about adultery (not just in marriage) and essentially pokes holes in every one of these protests and loopholes. It shines light on the excuses we come up with to rationalize our behaviors and make them okay. He calls us on our crap...

My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
Lend your ear to my understanding,
² That you may preserve discretion,
And your lips may keep knowledge.
³ For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey,
And her mouth is smoother than oil;
⁴ But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword...

The passage continues to lay out exactly how immoral actions lead to death, that's it, and if you're questioning the behavior, it is probably immoral. But I like the analogy between lips that appear to drip honey, sensually sweet and delicious, and the true bitterness of wormwood that they actually possess. There's a juxtaposition of appearance and truth here, and that is important. Satan takes a little piece of truth and makes it false, yet in so doing, it is understandable to us and easily infiltrating. So I ask that when posed with the lips that drip honey, you see them for bitter wormwood, and trust that when the Lord wants you to see true honey, He'll make it obvious.

When faced with questions personally and from friends, I hope to have the strength and boldness to speak up and not allow the issue to be sugar-coated and made palatable. I sent this verse to a few of my friends, and was pleasantly amazed with the responses. Most of them expressed how "funny" or "weird" the coincidence of the text was, but that's how God works. I felt encouraged to continue to help light the Lord's path of righteousness for those the find their paths dimmed or darkened by struggle and questioning, and in doing so, continue to strengthen my resolve in this area and my relationship with Him. I'm grateful also that I've got this passage in my pocket the next time the questions are asked.

Strawberry Swing - Coldplay

"Alright, Lord, I get it...I get it. It's all yours."

I've been trying to find a quote which encapsulates fallen humanity, but have been unsuccessful. I was hoping to find an eloquent way to say that because of our idols, our spiritual battles, and our own free will, we humans are extremely foolish. I know that I need to be smacked around a bit by God before I get the hint. I tend to fall on my face two or three or nine or ten times before I realize what I'd been staring at all along and listen to the Lord.

There are few things that interfere and obscure my relationship with the Lord like my idols, and I have a nasty habit of listening to my own stupid interpretations of meaning in them. Despite my intense love of the Lord, and my joy in living the life He planned for me, I messed up. Yet again, I fell and bruised myself on the my distractions, and again, He picked me up, brushed me off and asked, "Are you finally ready to do things my way?"

I have never in my life felt conviction in a physical way like I did then, my face flushed, red hot, and my anxiety went through the roof. This was no longer a small loving nudge in the right direction toward Him. This was a full-on scolding, complete with timeout and punishment. God was not happy with me and He wasn't being quiet about it. His aforementioned question wasn't really a question, but a strong expression of control. He has this, and I have got to take a backseat. "Alright, Lord, I get it...I get it. It's all yours."

I've never felt so taken care of, than in that moment of complete and total surrender. Not only was He extremely unhappy with me, but even then in that anger, He loved me enough to take everything in my life and work it out for me. I can relinquish control and things will turn out better, and for a worrier like me that's enormous. Even in the last week, I have a renewed focus. My relationship idol is no longer in the picture, it's truly gone. The Lord has filled me with my long-lost creativity and a desire for experience in everything. I've never written so much as in the last week. I'm blown away because the calm that I felt wash over my heart, was one that I've never experienced before. Thankfully a week later, it's still there. I'm still calm and content, and ardently expectant of the awesome and shattering next moves He'll make in my life, in my heart. I'm so blessed to have a Father like Him.

Catch the Wind by Donovan