February 6, 2026 -- Proverbs 1:8-10 -- Choose not to be enticed

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

8 Hear, my son, your father's instruction,
    and forsake not your mother's teaching,
9 for they are a graceful garland for your head
    and pendants for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you,
    do not consent.
Proverbs 1:8-10 ESV
 
Choose whom you will serve. As soon as you set your feet on the floor in the morning, at the noon day meal, as the day wears into the evening, constantly renew your vow to listen to and obey the captain of your salvation: Jesus! The first word is “sh’ma” or “hear” which carries the sense to hear and having heard to obey it fully. A devout Jewish man will, every morning and every evening, recite: “Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one, you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). That simple word “hear” is a deep reminder of his commitment to serving God and Him alone. The echo of that very common word in this passage will remind him of his continual vow.
 
Second, the word entice means that sinners will open the way to sin. It won’t take effort on your part. They’ll have done the work, opened the door, all you have to do is step through it. To entice also carries the sense to seduce. You don’t ever have to look for trouble, you will be seduced into it. Sin will rush out to meet you, arms wide open, instruments of evil (concealed as ‘fun’, or a new exciting pleasure) at the ready. Sometimes it is subtle. Sometimes it is a desire you’ve long held but only secretly, and you can’t believe your good luck in finding this door open…only, take this warning, it is the road that leads to death.
 
What guards you from the allurements of the wicked and invitations of the wicked? It is the instruction of Christian fathers and the teaching of Christian mothers. What you laughed at as “old fashioned” is in fact the guardian designed to protect you from yourself. Your youthful lusts. Your youthful peer group who pressures you, though you in your naiveté can’t imagine your friends would want to hurt you. At best they are just as ignorant to the ways of sin and the strong pull of vileness as you are; at worst, their guilty conscience and foul self-hatred means they want you to feel as bad as they do. The word is true. The godly ones, your earthly parents, or your spiritual fathers and mothers are the ones who sound loud the warning bell.
 
Boxing Day, 2004, Thailand, the beaches suddenly were far more exposed than usual. The on-coming tsunami pulled back a huge trough of water. More of the beach was exposed than ever before. It was inviting. Look. Explore. The wise knew it was ominous. A signal great danger was on its way. The foolish didn’t have the knowledge or teaching to know a tsunami was rushing towards them. So it is with sin. Only the wise, taught Scripture by faithful spiritual fathers or mothers, will recognize how great is the danger that will overtake you if you don’t immediately recognize the danger of the too-good-to-be-true circumstance you find yourself in.  Act accordingly. Flee the danger.
 
A father’s instruction is a graceful garland on the head. It is like an athlete’s crown so that the head is clothed with wisdom for any circumstance. The mother’s teaching is like a pendant, like a medical alert button worn by someone who is weak. You press it because you know how vulnerable you truly are. You press the help button, immediately rescue is on the way.
 
O LORD, Faithful One, thank You for godly fathers and mothers in the faith. Thank You for their wise counsel, their persistence in pointing out Your grace and goodness, and their great allegiance to us, especially during those frequent times we’ve been foolish. I repent of the many times I’ve been deaf to the appeals of those wiser than me and have rushed headlong into sin. I confess I’ve known the good I ought to do and turned away to do exactly the opposite. Thank You for the reconciling blood of Jesus Christ. Thank You for the guardianship of Your Holy Spirit. Thank You, that You show me my sins, so that I can confess them. Turn from them. And once again walk the path of wisdom. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/ndZsEDuCVAQ?si=YwgF5ZtmA5ceFIu- Psalm 27 (One Thing)
 

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