May 23

May 23 - Today from Proverbs 23 we look at verses 26 & 27
"My son, give me your heart and let your eyes keep to my ways, for a prostitute is a deep pit and a wayward wife is a narrow well."

"Give me your heart and keep to my ways. . . " I receive this from the Lord, not as a command, but as a plea from one who loves me and desires to be intimate with me. It puts me in mind of two young lovers who are planning their lives together. They are at the threshold of exchanging covenant vows to love, cherish, honor, and obey - "til death do us part." She looks into his eyes and with tears in her own she says, "Promise me that after we're married, you will never seek the services of a prostitute or cheat on me with another man's wife." He can hardly believe that she would make such a plea. Doesn't she realize how very much he loves her? It's almost an insult to him that the thought would even enter her mind. Why didn't she ask that he would promise never to steal from another and publicly embarrass her? Why didn't she ask that he never kill anyone and risk being separated from her by imprisonment? Why is she so concerned that he not violate the seventh commandment -- after all there are nine others! He loves her so much that sometimes he feels his heart will burst. The last thing she needs to be concerned with is his faithful and unwavering devotion to her.
The young woman had much better perception about life than did the young man. She was saying, "Promise me when the romance wears off, that love will still be there." When properly understood, love grows and intensifies when romance is no longer the motivator. Young people live much more by emotion than they do by reason. I didn't make that up, I saw the research. Romance is almost pure emotion, and a young person will swear it's love. It may be founded on love, but the evidence of that will not appear until the romance has waned. This is the reason why young couples who went through extended courting and engagements have a much lower divorce rate. They were together long enough to experience times when romance was all but dead in their relationships. They had to depend on love -- and the love held.
"Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love." (Revelation 2:4) These are not harsh words from the Supreme Judge. These are heartbroken words of compassion from Jesus to His church. Remember when you first discovered the reality of Jesus Christ -- how much He loves you, and what He personally did for you at Calvary? There was a lot of emotion attached to that experience. It was romance with the living God! Why, hardly nothing else mattered. You would live in poverty. You would endure hardship. You would do almost anything for Him because you loved Him so much. But after a period of time, the romance fades. What is left? Love! Love is not emotion. Love is a decision. A decision to "give Him your heart and keep to His ways." Apparently the church at Ephesus ran out of romance, and her heart began to wander. This is the church that wept as the apostle Paul, who had made Christ so real to them, departed from their shore (Acts 20). Later Paul would write them a beautiful letter espousing the attributes and glory of this Lord they loved so much (the book of Ephesians). It is probably only 30 or 40 years later that Jesus makes this broken-hearted statement in Revelation 2. I can imagine Paul kneeling on the shore with the Elders and pleading, "Promise me that after I leave that you will not forsake Jesus and go after other teachers and philosophies." What!?! Why, what could Paul be thinking? Doesn't he see our tears? Doesn't he feel the passion of our kiss? Can't he see how in love we are with the Lord Jesus? How can he say such a thing?
"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery - but I am talking about Christ and the church." Who did Paul write this to? That's right, the church at Ephesus. Ephesians 5:31 & 32. Who did God write this message to? That's right, His entire church - to you and to me. It doesn't matter that we're in the 21st century and that we are an 'enlightened society'. The vows of marriage, and the mystery of man and wife becoming untied as one are the same. When one spouse cheats on the other, they are violating something very deep and profound. This is why breaking the seventh commandment is the most destructive of sins in our society. It tears unseen fabrics that are almost impossible to mend, and it affects generations.
It is the same with our relationship with God. "The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; He punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation." (Ex.34:6&7)
This is not an arbitrary judgment, it is a spiritual revelation. We cannot isolate this passage and make pure doctrine. We must take it in context with the whole of the scripture. God is revealing to His people that He forgives, but those who choose to remain in their guilt (an unrepentant heart), are affecting their children and their children's children with punishment. Only the introduction of the sacrifice brought with a repentant heart can stop the generational sin and curse. Our sacrifice is Jesus, and when we "give Him our heart and let our eyes keep to His ways", the power of sin is broken. When we allow our hearts to go after other things, His heart is broken, and He calls us to return to our first love with Him.
Wisdom grows in love, even when romance wanes.