Proverbs 5:4 but in the end, she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword
There was a continual sadness about him. For years we were best friends, always together, adventures. We loved pots of Earl Grey Tea in fancy shops, as we talked over our latest books, The Glass Bead Game, Siddhartha, Man Alone With Himself, The Metaphysics of Ethics, and the list went on and on. We went around the University second-hand book shops on sleet driven winter days searching for treasures. Huddled over pots of tea we discussed our beliefs and our understandings.
On weekends beer and wine were mingled with salads as we trundled and staggered from wine bar to wine bar in search of enlightenment. Eventually, drugs made an appearance and our relationship strained.
As I think back I remember the good times, feeding squirrels in the park on spring days, laughing at just being alive, going to the Botanical Gardens on frosty February Tuesdays and being the only people there, standing in the tropical glasshouse as if we were kings of the world. Selling our David Bowie tickets to go watch Star Wars sword fights together. There were so many good times. But as I reflect on those days, and as I came to understand the reasons behind the sadness, I felt helpless.
Years later as a Christian I went back to talk to my friend, he knew what I said was true but refused to consider any changes. We are still what I would consider friends, his sadness still sits on him each day. My prayer for him is that he discovers a different two-edged sword that will set him free.
KNOWLEDGE
The outcome, the outstanding account, the overdue payment, the onset of despair, the awful consequences. What a terrible thing it is to come into a place of recognition of the gravity that are the results of disobedience, naivety, and recklessness.
We walk through the carnage of our choices and cravings, we wander through the waste of our wealth and the residue of our rationale.
We stand amongst the devastation of our own decisions, looking around, wondering perhaps how we ever got here.
We sit with our head in our hands, tasting the bitterness of disillusionment – recognising in our pain, that it was all an illusion anyway, we have been snared, and our wrestling in the snare has made it only wrap itself tighter around our mind and our heart until we can see no way forwards, and no way backwards.
But wait, regret is knocking softly at the portcullis in our mind, grace is disclosing at the door of our heart, hoping somehow to draw our attention, to lead us back to our father’s embrace, where his kindness will lead us safely to repentance.
We glance with a hint of hope back to our stifled memories, we hear the faintest voice whisper “my son, be attentive to my wisdom, incline your ear to my understanding’, and a slight shiver runs through us, perhaps all is not lost, there is hope, with God’s help we can rebuild.
Grace calls us to come and be held, to weep our tears of godly sorrow, to turn back to the father and to allow him to establish our ways. There is a place to come for comfort, for the challenge and for calling – it’s never too late with God.
UNDERSTANDING
Let’s pick one word from this verse to look closer at and see if that can help us gain a deeper insight into how God would love us to live?
The word for “wormwood” in Hebrew is pronounced “la’anah” and this word appears 7 times in the Old Testament. In the ESV it is translated into the English words, bitter and wormwood. The idea of this word includes the aspect of gall and even poison. Gall mixed with wine could also be used as a narcotic to reduce pain, and when Jesus refused the cup of wine and gall, he was refusing to allow the world to have a say in his destiny, no matter the cost to himself.
WISDOM – what conversation do you need to have with God today?
STRENGTHS THOUGHT: Focus locates the important issues in life – they may not be urgent. Focus creates time for people and gives its full attention, drawing others into long term goals with shared thoughts.
Allan’s Unauthorised Version – [the residue on the far side is disagreeable to taste, full of anxiety and despair, intensely bitter, accursed, fierce like a dagger or a drought.]
PRAYER: Father, thank you for today. Help me to consider the outcomes as I make decisions today. Thank you!
I so love your feedback – please do scroll down and use a few moments to bless me?
Thank you Pastor Allan.
Today I’m seeking God for His guidance in some of our decisions. May His will be done.
Thank you for explaining wormwood & why Jesus refused the wine.
Wow! Thanks Ps Allan.
I really enjoyed reading this morning.
Really love your strength thought – Focus creates time for people and give its full attention, drawing others into long term goals with shared thoughts. It’s so true and also a great reminder of what conversations do we need to have with God today.
An honest and open lesson depicting the abject despair and hopelessness of being drawn into the depths of sin. But , “there is hope, with God’s help we can rebuild. It is never too late with God”.
He will welcome the most hardened sinner with open arms if we choose to repent.
Thank you, Pastor Allan, for today’s prayer.
Loved this, especially the prayer! Great way to start the morning 😊
An honest and open lesson depicting the abject despair and hopelessness of being drawn into the depths of sin. But , “there is hope, with God’s help we can rebuild. It is never too late with God”.
He will welcome the most hardened sinner with open arms if we choose to repent.
Thank you, Pastor Allan, for today’s beautiful prayer.
How blessed is your friend that he has you praying for him. I too pray for him also.
Great wisdom thought to make me think of the important conversations with God.
Also love this –
There is a place to come for comfort, for challenge and for calling – its never too late with God.
He is always there waiting for us with open arms.
Today’s message takes me back to the naive me and the decisions I’ve made that continues to impact my life today. If I could winde the clock back and inclined my ear more and have God there, I think my life would have been different. Having said that, I now count my blessings and praise God for bringing me this far in life. He has always loved even when I made choices withou Him, My experiences and past has made me love God more than ever. Many thanks Pastor Allan. God bless.
Your story of that part of your life is so common for the world we know and we can see even as christians to lure and pull of the enemy to remain there with its lake of fulfilment and heaviness . It’s almost easier to remain there because they know it and the unknown Freedom we know almost seems too good to be true or to difficult to imagine . The use of the word “residue “ you’ve explained is that oil slick in the ocean that cannot go away unless it is taken out, cleaned out … the residue in our lives can only be cleaned out , taken away by forgiveness and grace, Grace .
Thank you Allan
Hi ps Allan ; thx u for God words; the words touch me this am
We walk trough the carnage of our choices
We stand amongst the devastation of our own decision
We sit with our head in our hand tasting the bitterness of desilusionment
Wow !!!!That all those things bcos is results of disobedience ????
Well hope went we will have opportunity ; talk to about Our Lovely Father to others and encourage prevents don’t fall in disobedience
Thx u
God bless
I’m so grateful for Gods grace in my life.
If not for his love and kindness my life would have looked so much different.
My path would have been unfamiliar.
Today i thank God for his love and forgiveness
For transforming me ,for showing me how deep how great his unfailing love is .
Amen! Thank you so much Ps Allan for sharing. God bless you 🙏
Thank you Pastor Allan for reminding us about how important our decisions are particularly ones which determine the pathways we take in our lives.
I’m so grateful to God that somehow I escaped many pitfalls in my youth which could have had very bad repercussions . I know I had a praying mother back at home as I traveled the world with all its adventures but with all of its negative enticements as well! Our youth is such a critical time in our life when we can be so easily influenced by peer pressure & the trappings of the world which can set the course of our lives. However the amazing thing is that no matter how tragic our circumstances may be there is a loving compassionate & forgiving Heavenly Father waiting to embrace us if we will heed His call. This stresses the importance of praying people into the kingdom regardless of how long it might take & how deaf to the truth they be! A good example is Paul on the road to Damascus! Such relentless love & mercy which is the very character & heart of God is always available!
Such clarity in those words
If only we knew then what we know now
I know for sure i would have made more measured choices …but I can’t change it
Having gods grace and forgiveness is so comforting ….and putting all my failures at his feet at the cross
Allowing him to prayerfully mend brokenness afflicted on others
Thank you pastor Allan
Temptation always tastes sweet in the beginning and bitter in the end. I pray your friend will come to his senses and return to God. Indeed , Never too late with God.
Thankyou Allan for your thought provoking message today, it lead me to do some further study on why Jesus refused the first offer of wine on the cross but drank the second.