Hear the Warning

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
HEAR THE WARNING
Prov 9:13-18
13 The woman Folly is loud; she is undisciplined and without knowledge. 14 She sits at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city, 15 calling out to those who pass by, who go straight on their way. 16 "Let all who are simple come in here!" she says to those who lack judgment. 17 "Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!" 18 But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave.
NIV
Once again I meet this woman, who is not a woman at all but rather the anti-christ or sin itself. Wisdom or Christ was seen or depicted as a woman early so I have to conclude sin or the devil, the anti-christ is also depicted as a woman. The voices of the world, which is certainly under the control of him who opposes God, surely is loud and senseless. The people of the world, those who oppose God, and all he stands for are certainly undisciplined and without knowledge. I cannot afford to be counted in that number, nor can I afford to listen to the nonsense they speak. It is true the voice of the opposition is much louder most of the time than the still small voice of God. Why do they boast so loudly, does miserly love company? Why is the lure of sin have to sit on the high places and call out? I think it is easy enough to fail God on my own, much less having the devil making every effort to snare me into his trap. But I do think the failures to be absolutely perfect, totally without sin, are completely different than listening to the call of this woman and entering her house. To leave God and become a guest in the home of the devil has everlasting consequences. That is truly where death is. I am convinced it requires effort and a choice to not listen to that calling out, not to be enticed by the stolen water or anything which is prohibited. Many of the ways of the world are prohibited if I listen to the voice of wisdom. I have to remain, if I desire life, in the household of faith. I desire to remain there, even when I fail to live up to the standard God has laid out. I do not think I have entered the house of this evil one, but have simply been human, as unfortunate as that is. I wish somehow I was not subject to being human, having these moments of failing God. Why can I not be perfect, and never fail? It is not because the devil has won me over, and I have accepted his invitation to dine with him. I surely do no lack that kind of judgment, but I still fall short of perfection, having perfect judgment, having perfected the art of not sinning at all. Still I have to keep my ear plugs in concerning that undisciplined calling out for the control of my soul. Death shall not shallow me up, for I have life, I am a child of God, I live in the household of faith, within the Kingdom of God. I hear the warning.