There are treacherous waters that we must steer clear from. Why are they so destructive? They give control of our lives over to evil forces and evil people. In Proverbs 6 these four treacherous waters are: 1) financial entanglements (6:1-5), 2) laziness (6:6-11), 3) mean troublemakers (6:12-19) and 4) adultery (6:24-35). Fear the Lord above everything else and avoid unwise investments, a lifestyle of apathy, divisive people and infidelity.
Solomon says there is a war of words happening in the secret, hidden parts of your heart. It’s God’s life giving words of wisdom in your heart verses the seductive words of the tempter or temptress. Solomon’s plea is to internalize the loving Father’s truth. Drink the Father’s words in deeply so that it becomes the fabric of your life.
Solomon says to guard your heart with all vigilance, because there is so much ugliness in this world. And if we look on ugliness too long, it impacts our fragile hearts. Our hearts were not designed to be tough and calloused; they were designed to be protected and guarded. There is so much out there that can harden our fragile hearts. We hate it at first, but then it comes familiar and finally we embrace it. Our first responsibility is to preserve and guard the citadel of our life, which is our heart.
In Proverbs 3, Solomon says the goal is “discretion” and “sound wisdom”. When the world and all her pleasures try to seduce us, we have the inner power to navigate what is front of us. We can anticipate and traverse through the traps. Solomon says there is a lot to lose – life, safety, peaceful sleep, courage and confidence. Ultimately the Lord is our confidence and the guardian of our safety. As we trust Him, He is the only one who can secure the outcomes He wants us to experience.
