Proverbs 7:13-20 — REAL Love

READ THIS: Proverbs 7:13-20

13 She took hold of him and kissed him and with a brazen face she said: 14 “Today I fulfilled my vows, and I have food from my fellowship offering at home. 15 So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you! 16 I have covered my bed with colored linens from Egypt. 17 I have perfumed my bed     with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon. 18 Come, let’s drink deeply of love till morning; let’s enjoy ourselves with love! 19 My husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey. 20 He took his purse filled with money and will not be home till full moon.”

WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY?
 
Continuing the story we’ve been working through the last few days, today we learn of the words that the adulterous woman uses to try and convince the young man to make a terrible decision. In the midst of her trying to convince the man, we can spot holes in her argument that the decision to stay with her for the night is logical. She claims to be religious, performing offerings, yet she forsakes one of God’s 10 commandments completely as she urges him to commit adultery with her. She tells the man to stay with her because she loves him, but also says that her husband is gone for a long time… so why would she have him leave her the next day if they were meant to be together?

The enemy loves to use lies to deceive us. He tells us false things about who God is and who we are. The most dangerous lie in this passage comes in verse 18… that love is something simply to be enjoyed. True love, the kind of love that Christ offers to us, is an action that is hardly enjoyable at times. Loving people the right way is hard, painful, and at times unpleasant. But when we love like Christ loves, we can experience great things far better than enjoyable, fake love like we see here!

THINK ABOUT IT:

1. Have you ever seen love as something that has to be enjoyed? Have you ever had to go through something hard with someone you love?

2. How can we avoid listening to lies about God, ourselves, and good things like real, Christ-like love?
 
TRY THIS:
 
Today, try to be very careful about how you use the word “love.” Only say that you love something if you truly mean it! For example… I would normally say I LOVE Pringles, but the truth is I just think they taste great! Give it a shot, and type out something/someone you truly love in the comments!




Comments

  1. AnonymousJuly 21, 2023 at 9:25 PM

    I truly love Your creations Lord! The beauty, majesty and complexity of them is astounding to me. Thank you for the gift of eyes to see them, ears to hear the sounds of Your seas, winds, thunder and the voices of loved ones. I LOVE YOU, LORD!

    ReplyDelete

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