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I die devotionals

Seductress is bitter as wormwood and sharp as a two-edged sword | P5-V4

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I die devotional

Proverbs 5:4

3 For the lips of an adulteress 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 take hold of Sheol.

Four months ago I didn’t think myself equipped to pull the speck out of my reader’s eye (Matt. 7:2-4) regarding these verses –  if indeed there is a speck of lust? I was still in combat training against the lips of an adulteress; her speech is smoother than oil, which makes grappling against her batting of the eyes and biting of the lip impossible to resist for turning into some perverse fantasy. It wasn’t that I was involved in a physical affair or looking at porn—that demon departed—but that the idea of being unfulfilled in some lustful way…was my battle ground; self-control is developed through the discipline of resistance.

Matthew 7:2-4
2 For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, the log is in your own eye?

That battle ground I mentioned, it’s a place you and I are sharing in my writing and your reading. It’s only natural for the mind to think about our subject at hand, but how the information of the topic affects us… intrigues me.

I had judged what I was up against four months ago as worse than committing the act of adultery because I lived in “death” for the experience of “Sheol”. In other words not looking at porn or resisting masturbation will not solve the deeper problem of lust although it is a step in the right direction. The feet of a seductress goes down to death and her appetite is the devil’s bed, or restroom perhaps? Because you know the places of your vices, they’re home to you and the devil. It’s a deal bargained for your soul unless confessed and repented of. The mind is so powerful that it has the capacity to stronghold you into unbelief by keeping you in your sin that Jesus Christ saved you out of; the choice on whether you want to live in sin or escape is purely psychological and spiritual in nature, the choice is made by how you behave! So how do you behave in secret?

The question is simple: 

Do you want to escape from the will of the devil (2 Timothy 2:24-26)?

The answer is not so simple; discipline is suffering. 

2 Timothy 2:24-26
24 The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, skillful in teaching, patient when wronged, 25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

In my case I lived in the adultery of my mind because of insecurities and pride that the Church couldn’t cure because it was too personal, beyond human intuition and perception. And until I faced what that meant in order for that part of me to die, I would continue to give myself over to the seductress of my soul—thinking I didn’t want that attractive person to look at me the way they did by which invoked sexual fantasies, but it happened because of sin… “So I must be safe, right?” Wrong! As innocent as it might be to experience the chemical and neurological processes of my reproductive and intellectual organs doesn’t mean I’m not guilty of committing adultery in my heart by turning what was innocent into a conscious fantasy where pleasure is performed until release, a proclivity to doing it over and over and over again.

The seductress of your soul might look like a number of different things: perhaps it is wanting something that someone else has, or perhaps fulfilling something that someone else doesn’t have or hasn’t experienced, or perhaps it’s the fact that the conscience convicts what is off limits and not understanding why will drive you absolutely insane until you find it out? I think we could go on and on in addition to scenarios, but I don’t think that wise, said facetiously. I think—or at least hope—you get the idea.

If you want to escape from the seductress of your soul you’ll need to first confess to the Church, that’s the first act of repentance and it might be multiple times, but don’t underestimate your faith in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. By “Church” I mean two or three witnesses of a congregation in the Body of Christ. These people will be governed by the Holy Spirit for the sake of your forgiveness and accountability moving forward in your new life. 

Without genuine christian accountability in your life you’ll fall all the harder into your sin you’ve just escaped from, so do not think you can win against evil without God, it is impossible without God!

I’ll be praying for you, reader.

MORE CONTENT & RESOURCES

P5-V3

Proverbs 5 (NASB)—blueletterbible.org | biblegateway.com

Matthew Henry (P5-V4) Commentary

  • (1.) How fatal the consequences will be. What fruit will the sinner have of his honey and oil when the end will be,
    • [1.] The terrors of conscience: It is bitter as wormwood, v. 4. What was luscious in the mouth rises in the stomach and turns sour there; it cuts, in the reflection, like a two-edged sword; take it which way you will, it wounds. Solomon could speak by experience, Eccl. 7:26.
    • [2.] The torments of hell. If some that have been guilty of this sin have repented and been saved, yet the direct tendency of the sin is to destruction of body and soul; the feet of it go down to death, nay, they take hold on hell, to pull it to the sinner, as if the damnations slumbered too long, v. 5. Those that are entangled in this sin should be reminded that there is but a step between them and hell, and that they are ready to drop into it.
I die devotionals, Nathan Dooley

All your ways will be established | P4-V26

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A Father’s Instruction

Proverbs 4:26 

I die devotional.

25 Let your eyes look directly ahead
And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.
26 Watch the path of your feet
And all your ways will be established.
27 Do not turn to the right nor to the left;
Turn your foot from evil.

Okay, this devotional marks a change in the structure of my devotionals, a minuscule change at that. I’ve updated these devotionals from “I die daily devotional” to ‘I die devotional‘ because of the obvious—this hasn’t been a daily event—but plan on continuing the course of completing all the book of proverbs as my devotion, only… it won’t be a daily thing. It’s for good reason, however, because my devotion is divided into much more than just these devotionals for this site. You’ll see.

26 Watch the path of your feet And all your ways will be established.

To watch the path of my feet is by no means an easy feat considering other paths that merge into mine, and or how mine, might cross into yours. So I ask, Wisdom, “What do You mean?” She might tell me to reflect on the past, and there is a lot in my past for resources I’m uncertain to use. She might tell me to see the future, but all paths lead to death, so where does that leave me? It leaves me with the truth of faith in Jesus Christ right now, His feet establishes my path into the place I watch with eyes of love. All my ways are established in the truth of Jesus’ life, resurrected from death and ascended at the right hand of God—an eternal covenant between God and Man through the Son of Man, Christ Jesus!

Hebrews 13:20 Now may the God of peace [the source of serenity and spiritual well-being] who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood that sealed and ratified the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with every good thing to carry out His will and strengthen you [making you complete and perfect as you ought to be], accomplishing in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

RESOURCE

Proverbs 4 (NASB)—blueletterbible.org | biblegateway.com

COMMENTARY

Chapter 4

Matthew Henry (P4-V26) Commentary
V. We must act considerately in all we do (v. 26): Ponder the path of thy feet, weigh it (so the word is); “put the word of God in one scale, and what thou hast done, or art about to do, in the other, and see how they agree; be nice and critical in examining whether thy way be good before the Lord and whether it will end well.” We must consider our past ways and examine what we have done, and our present ways, what we are doing, whither we are going, and see that we walk circumspectly. It concerns us to consider what are the duties and what the difficulties, what are the advantages and what the dangers, of our way, that we may act accordingly. “Do nothing rashly.”

VI. We must act with steadiness, caution, and consistency: “Let all thy ways be established (v. 26) and be not unstable in them, as the double-minded man is; halt not between two, but go on in an even uniform course of obedience; turn not to the right hand not to the left, for there are errors on both hands, and Satan gains his point if he prevails to draw us aside either way. Be very careful to remove thy foot from evil; take heed of extremes, for in them there is evil, and let thy eyes look right on, that thou mayest keep the golden mean.” Those that would approve themselves wise must always be watchful.

I die devotionals, Nathan Dooley

She is a tree of life | P3-V18

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The Rewards of Wisdom

Proverbs 3; I die daily devotional.

17 Her ways are pleasant ways And all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who hold her fast.  19  The LORD by wisdom founded the earth, By understanding He established the heavens. 

Good morning, it’s still early here in Dallas Tx; the sky is dark, street lights are lit; a glistening mirror of wetness covers the surface of the ground as though to be a dew, but it’s no dew; in a few hours … sunrise. There is a graceful thunder rumbling outside, although, at times, the thunder is strong enough you can feel the vibration of its sound; cars all around our neighborhood are sounding the alarm as though being broken into simultaneously; as the seconds count, a subtle rainfall begins only to end in minutes thereafter, but not before the sound of another … rumble.

You know what; I think that might have nothing to do with today’s devotional, but it felt good when writing it out, perhaps because I love stormy weather and nonfiction stories are the best when a storm is involved—that holds more weight than my opinion, okay, don’t judge me, it’s fact.

Now let’s watch how that storm navigates into wisdom being a tree of life in the midst of our impending death. Don’t be discouraged by the storms you experience in your life (which is much easier written than practiced in real time); no matter what that “storm” is described as for you, it’s not the end according to our gospel if we are holding fast to the tree of life that is wisdom. Hold fast with me. She is our experience of happiness. Wisdom is a lady that blesses us with the reward of gladness in the face of adversity because we’re alive in Christ our Lord, Jesus. Jesus is the salvation of our souls, and no amount of sin is capable of removing that promise upon belief in Jesus Christ.

However, the gospel warns us about people choosing to remain in their sin of disobedience to this gospel. To believe in Jesus means to have wisdom as our tree of life that seals us in the book of life, but if we’ve continued in our sin after claiming to be Christian then we’ve missed the mark of conviction that secures our promise through faith. Jesus tells us to go and sin no more. It is by grace through faith we are saved by the work of the cross, not our cross, but the cross of Jesus Christ. What that means is that the Holy Spirit of God will help us live in obedience to the gospel through faith as we learn more and more through the discipline of divine inspiration—the Word of God at work in the heart, mind, soul, and strength of our conversion (born again).

Hold fast to what wisdom teaches us in the letter to the Hebrews:

6:17 In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose,  interposed with an oath,  18 so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. 19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, 20 where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Whenever we hear to understand this gospel, there is an experience of conviction that pierces the conscience of a person. That experience is the truth said in love by almighty God, telling us about our sin condition that died with Christ Jesus, the Son of God; Jesus made peace with God our Father (God had poured out His wrath on our sin that His only begotten Son took on our behalf) when He [Jesus] was crucified to death for our salvation—which means we are to be resurrected as a new creature—born again with a seal of promise, our hope set before us as an anchor of the soul—eternal life. So if you’re still in sin while claiming Christian, it’s time to repent and be saved to a living purpose rather than a dead one in Hell.

18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who hold her fast.

God our Father in Heaven through the mighty Name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus. I pray for me and my friends reading this devotional that might not know the glory of Your Lady Wisdom that blesses us with the memory of Your law and commands for long life and length of days and peace added to us. Thank you so much for sending Your only Begotten Son to die on the cross for our sins, and I pray we will take hold of the tree of life and hold her fast. In Jesus Name … Amen.

RESOURCE

Proverbs 3 (NASB)—blueletterbible.org | biblegateway.com
1 My son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments; 2 For length of days and years of life And peace they will add to you. 3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil. 8 It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones. 9 Honor the LORD from your wealth And from the first of all your produce; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine. 11 My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD Or loathe His reproof, 12 For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father  corrects the son in whom he delights. 13 How blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who gains understanding. 14 For her profit is better than the profit of silver And her gain better than fine gold. 15 She is more precious than jewels; And nothing you desire compares with her. 16 Long life is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor. 17 Her ways are pleasant ways And all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who hold her fast. 19 The LORD by wisdom founded the earth, By understanding He established the heavens. 20 By His knowledge the deeps were broken up And the skies drip with dew. 21 My son, let them not vanish from your sight; Keep sound wisdom and discretion, 22 So they will be life to your soul And adornment to your neck. 23 Then you will walk in your way securely And your foot will not stumble. 24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. 25 Do not be afraid of sudden fear Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; 26 For the LORD will be your confidence And will keep your foot from being caught. 27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in your power to do it. 28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it, ”When you have it with you. 29 Do not devise harm against your neighbor, While he lives securely beside you. 30 Do not contend with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm. 31 Do not envy a man of violence And do not choose any of his ways. 32 For the devious are an abomination to the LORD; But He is intimate with the upright. 33 The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous. 34 Though He scoffs at the scoffers, Yet He gives grace to the afflicted. 35 The wise will inherit honor, But fools  display dishonor.

COMMENTARY

Chapter 3

Matthew Henry (P3-V18) Commentary
3. It is the happiness of paradise (v. 18): She is a tree of life. True grace is that to the soul which the tree of life would have been, from which our first parents were shut out for eating of the forbidden tree. It is a seed of immortality, a well of living waters, springing up to life eternal. It is an earnest of the New Jerusalem, in the midst of which is the tree of life, Rev. 22:2; 2:7. Those that feed and feast on this heavenly wisdom shall not only be cured by it of every fatal malady, but shall find an antidote against age and death; they shall eat and live for ever.