ESOCS Devotional 1 September 2023 – Flee From Enticement
MEMORY VERSE: “With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk.” Proverbs 7:21 NIV
TEXT: PROVERBS 7:6-23 (KJV)
For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,
7 And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
8 Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,
9 In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:
10 And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.
11 (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:
12 Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)
13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,
14 I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.
15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16 I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.
19 For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:
20 He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.
21 With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.
22 He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
23 Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.
Read Yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
There are several challenges that are bedeviling our society today; these challenges have been a major problem that has cut across all areas in our society; age brackets, assemblies and territories. It is happening in villages, it is happening in towns, schools, churches and families. One of these ugly challenges is sexual immorality.
Yes, sexual immorality has become a powerful tool that the devil is using to penetrate the lives of believers in this time and cause more harm.
In our text today, we are faced with a scenario of a woman whose husband travelled and she went for a young man passing by the street, she adorned herself very well to the end that she appears irresistible. She understands and has mastered the language of seduction and will stop at nothing from getting her prey. The above scripture said; “…she led him astray with persuasive words”.
Beloved, all these things that are written in the scriptures are for our own learning (Romans 15:4). In the world today, there are several agents and agencies of the kingdom of darkness that are strategically positioned to lead men astray.
For instance, we are in the age of the internet, where nothing is being hidden again. With just a click of a button, we can get access to virtually everything we desire to search for. There are explicit pictures and videos that are littered on social media spaces which are carefully put up for the corruption of our minds. You cannot scroll Facebook, TikTok and other spaces again today without seeing half-naked or in most cases naked people littered everywhere. How about our streets and environments? What we see with our eyes on a daily basis is very disheartening.
The objective of all these immoral sexual enticements is to lead people astray; young people are the ones suffering it the most. These agents of wickedness will stop at nothing from getting their prey and destroying your eternal destiny. They can promise you everything one can ever imagine; money, position, job opportunities or anything at all just to lure you. Please, it is important to understand that those things that seem pleasant to the eyes are an easy route to perpetual suffering and destruction (Proverbs 14:12). As a believer in Christ, whether you are married or single, please note that there is no gain in sexual immorality. Even though the opportunity comes calling, as much as your legs can carry you, please flee!
- Be vigilant and conscious of all items to be able to identify tools that are meant to lure you into evil.
- Oh Lord, give me grace not to give in to Satan’s deceptions in this perverse generation.
FURTHER READING: Psalms 19:13; Romans 6:12; 1 Corinthians 6:18-19; 2 Timothy 2:22
Thank you for reading the ESOCS Devotional today. Please share and follow us on all our platforms to contribute to the spread of the Gospel.
ESOCS Devotional 1 September 2023
