Hello to all! Let's see what we can find from the treasure trove of God's word today. We'll start with Proverbs 5. For commentary on verses 1-6 search "Oct 05". Today let's look at Proverbs 5:7-10.

The chapter, beginning in verse 3, counsels a young man to guard thinking abilities and steer clear of a "wayward" woman, whose lips "drip like a honeycomb", and whose mouth is "smoother than oil", but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood, and as sharp as a two-edged sword. Such is the effect of disregarding God's moral instruction, perhaps disregarding His standard to confine marriage to a loving, faithful woman that loves the true God and His son. 1Corinthians 7:39 states the principle that one should, if able to choose, marry "only in the Lord." One should thus marry a dedicated Christian if possible, one willing to comply with God's divine standards through Christ. The counsel to guard one's associations is no more important than in the selection of a lifelong marriage companion! (1Cori 15:33). Now let's consider verses 7-10:

"7 Now, my sons, listen to me And do not turn away from what I am saying. 8 Stay far away from her; Do not go near the entrance of her house, 9 So that you may not give your dignity to others Nor reap years of what is cruel; 10 So that strangers may not drain your resources And what you labored for go to the house of a foreigner."

Prov 5:7,8 The loving, wise father of Proverbs 1-9 exhorts his son to stay far away from a woman disregarding God and his standards, not fearing Him. How fine, however, if such a woman sees the error of her ways, by the counsel of God, repents of her life course and humbly turns to the true God. Perhaps such a woman, in God's mercy, may learn to serve Him in faithfulness. But this is not typical. Therefore if possible the wise son should seek a wife who will be loyal to Jehovah and the one faith of true Christianity, thus both having a hold on the path of everlasting life, seeking God's loving guidance and instruction in life. The proverber continues regarding the consequences of the son looking to the wayward woman, in verses 9,10:

"9 So that you may not give your dignity to others Nor reap years of what is cruel; 10 So that strangers may not drain your resources And what you labored for go to the house of a foreigner."

Prov 5:9,10 Such a young man would be on a disastrous course, leading to heartache and loss, and likely having much of what he's worked hard for taken away from him, his resources drained, going to others. May men who have come to experience this bitterness still look to God for support as they seek to meet obligations until God's Kingdom sets all matters right. Young, inexperienced ones need to gain foresighted shrewdness or prudence, learning to look ahead at the consequences of a bad course, that they may hate what is bad in God's eyes, and steer clear of it. If God says its bad, it is so for a reason, and we do well to stay far away from such a course."

Psal 46 (Book 2, 5th psalm) This psalm opens profoundly: "God is our refuge and strength, a help that is readily found in times of distress. 2 That is why we will not fear, though the earth undergoes change, though the mountains topple into the depths of the sea." May Jehovah be our refuge and strength, a place of safety and source of power to us as we seek closeness with Him and seek His guidance and direction in life. We need to learn God's standards from His word, that we may know how to walk through this world on the path of "good people", whether that leads to endless life in heaven or on a happy, cleansed Paradise earth. (Prov 2:20-22).

Matthew 5 begins with nine happinesses, starting with "Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need, since the kingdom of the heavens belongs to them." Jesus spoke of "the kingdom of the heavens" elsewhere, as in Matt 25:1,34 in reference to the heavenly government God will use to bring true peace and Paradise conditions to the earth. This is the "new heavens" mentioned by Peter in 2Pet 3:13, as quoted from Isai 65:17, where mention is also made of a "new earth." Reasonably, all who God permits to live within His Kingdom will need to appreciate spiritual things, whether they are among the limited number worthy of being co-rulers with Christ in the Kingdom, or permitted to live peaceably on Paradise earth, under the Kingdom's rulership (Luke 12:32; John 10:16). May we be mindful daily of our "spiritual need," to attend to the needs of our spirit and relationship with God and others, safeguarding our hearts from corruption, as among the most important things to guard. (Prov 4:23).