Proverbs 5:5 her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol;
In my experience of life and watching other people one of the things that often takes people on a journey in the wrong direction is alcohol. It seems to promise pleasure and fun, but in actuality, over the whole picture, it often brings poverty and depression. I have seen so many people who have had their lives controlled by alcohol, they have lost their jobs, their families, their home and their future, to a substance.
I have seen the struggle to overcome something that for them would best be avoided. The physical and mental battle that consumes peoples lives.
My social worker introduced me to alcohol when I was fourteen years old. He was well-meaning, and I am sure in his mind he believed he was treating me like an adult, and so I would behave like an adult. The only thing was that I was a teenager, so unfortunately I behaved like a teenager, and continued that behaviour for the next number of years. Many times I would swear off drinking and would stop for a season, but always I went back. Until Jesus set me free.
I understand that alcohol is used by millions of people across the world who don’t have a problem with it, and I am not anti-alcohol, I am though, pro-Holy Spirit.
So much sometimes hangs on the little decisions we make in life, and alcohol is just one example. The bible lists out the areas of life where we can so easily be snared. Romans 1:28-31 is one passage amongst many.
Having the Holy Spirit to guide us in all our decisions, small, medium, and large is by far the best way to travel through life.
KNOWLEDGE
There is an outcome to being led astray, or choosing to ignore God’s fatherly guidance, whether deliberate or naïve. We are provided with insight here to help us understand the consequences of our choices. There is only one direction described, as Status Quo’s song has it, “down, down, and deeper down”. Status Quo of course means “to keep things the way they are”. And it’s that fear of change, that somehow you might lose something that may be keeping you from listening to God’s advice, and then with an incredibly sad irony, everything is eventually lost. We trade in the pearl of great value [Matt 13:45-46] as we put one foot on this path at peril to our life. We have a certain outcome on the path, our life is heading for death and we experience it long before we physically get there as our spiritual, emotional, and mental life, take a hold of the consequences of our decisions.
It doesn’t have to be this way, there is one safe place, pay attention to the wisdom of God, displayed on the cross for the whole world to see, listen in to the understanding that brings life as you read the Word of God, who is alive and is sharper than any two-edged sword [Heb. 4:12]. God’s plan for you is life in the fullest sense, getting to fulfil the calling He has on your life, the only thing that can really stop that is you. Make a great choice today.
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 “feet” in Hebrew is pronounced as “regeL’, and this word appears 251 times in the Old Testament. In the ESV it is translated into the English words, feet; journey; turned; pace; legs; followed; irrigated; heels; relieve[himself]; followed; after; travellers; underfoot; and, footstool. In verse five that we are examining the word has the connotations of “her steps,”.
WISDOM
Q – where are your choices today taking you?
STRENGTHS THOUGHT: Includer accepts all people, wanting them to connect with something bigger than themselves. You are keen for each person to be heard. Recognise that not everyone is called to be involved in everything. Make great decisions.
Allan’s Unauthorised Version – [her footsteps descend, always casting downwards, to destruction, her way of life is striding to grasp and seize the deepest depths right up to death.]
PRAYER: Father, thank you for today. Help me to be careful about who I allow to influence the direction of my life and to notice the incline or decline that I am on, thank you!
I so love feedback – please do scroll down and use a few moments to bless me?
Thanks Ps Allan.
It’s so true, having the holy spirit guide us through every decision in life is so good. The choices we make is going to affect every step of our journey so having the holy spirit guide us through every decision in life is so important.
Thank you for sharing Ps Allan.
Hi ps Allan ; thx u for God words; uf!! today went I do read I became sad; bcos is really true about alcohol ; went I grow up unfortunately in that circle one person ( my father) Was alcoholic; he loss his life very early; I am still miss him ; apart of that was good father and very responsable worked ; in that time we loss him just I was born again .
Thx u
God bless ;
Thank you pastor Allan for today’s prayer.
“Who do I let into my life today?”,and how is that influence going to effect my life choices?
Does that take me to incline or decline in this journey called life ?
Great question pastor Allan .
Thank you
Fear God , obey His commands.
If a person would only fear God, then it will certainly lead them away from sheol and death into what God has prepared for them.
Tks Allan. You’re a legend.
Thanks Pastor Allan for always pointing us to Jesus!
A further warning following on from the previous verses with regard to the importance of making wise decisions which produce wise outcomes for our lives. Our greatest decision is making Jesus the Lord of our lives & when we commit to making Him the centre of every area we have the best chance of staying away from things & people who would lead us astray down a path towards death & destruction. As we intentionally walk each day listening to the Holy Spirit & obeying God’s Word as well as keeping in close fellowship with believers who we can be accountable to helps put up a safety net to safeguard & protect us from falling away from God’s plans & purposes for us & giving us the best opportunity to make wise decisions. Our flesh is very weak & temptation clothes itself in disguise quite often so being diligent in our relationship with the Lord & His ways is essential to staying our course in Him.
naming alcohol is an adult drink I think, we tempt children to do the thing we do not want them to do. I am not saying we should allow children to drink or anything like that.. in western world having a glass of wine or a drink is so much part of life.
But where I come from its not the case. shouldn’t we keep on saying how armful it is and lead by an example. I have not consumed alcohol for nearly a year. I rarely even drink. I used to drink a glass of wine or a beer may be like 5 or 6 times per year.
that has to do with my family background, my culture and of cause having the knowledge and the will power to know what’s best for me….
The sweet, seductive promises of substances always end in misery. So often we see breakdown of families due to these circumstances. Worst of all we see young innocent children scarred. The choice is ours, whether we want to go down that path or steer clear of it and find our safe place with our Father.
It is our responsibility to teach our children to make the right choices, however tempting the opposite may be.
Thank you for today’s message Pastor Allan.
Amen! Thank you Ps Allan.
God’s plans for us is to have life in abundance, He wants to see us live a life that glorifies Him. Although sometimes we find ourselves making wrong choices, but thanks to the Holy Spirit that guides us to make right decisions – God’s grace is always sufficient .
Such a challenging word and great reminder Allan. So good!
Love this – pay attention to the wisdom of God. So important to be still and listen to His whisper, to ask Him for guidance and to ask Him for wisdom. Then to be obediant to Him.
Thanks Ps Allan . Great
Sin and it’s consequences are death but to wilfully know the fear of God , he keeps His beloved, us, from every evil.
A healthy fear of the Lord means we lack Nothing , that we fear only Him who holds this world in His hands , who holds our lives in his hands , keeping our eyes on Him just as a child does their parent , being lead astray to go down to death HAS NO HOLD ON US . Our eyes on Jesus keeping us from every evil . Amen and amen !