Proverbs 5:10 lest strangers take their fill of your strength, and your labours go to the house of a foreigner,
We had a great friend who lived out on the islands. He had just bought a house there and was raising a young family. The house had no fence anywhere, so the garden was open to all sorts of animals as well as all the elements, and it could be windy there at times.
So we loaded up a few tools one Friday night and drove to the nearest port, where we boarded the last ferry over and sailed into the night. We arrived ashore in time for a very late supper and an air mattress.
The next morning the sun was up at 4.30, I know because I saw it rise from behind my spade. We were at it early doors! We dug out the holes for posts and cleared the land for the fence. The ground was very uneven and steep in places so it was tricky and exhausting work. We could see our breath as we worked in the winter sunshine, steam rising slowly like moor mists from our beanies. We worked without speaking, breathing hard, sliding around and regaining our balance.
The posts went in, concrete followed them like a greyhound on a rabbit. Lunch was taken hand on knee, beside spade in the ground. The afternoon came and went, shadows lengthened to the sound of saws and hammers. It was done, and dinner was on the table.
We sat on our mattresses after dinner and someone put Star Wars on the TV, I remember the opening credits.
We were on the ferry homewards bound, the next day was Monday back to work.
I saw a photo of the fence about two days later, lying in bits all over the garden. A gale fore nine wind had ripped it out of the ground and shredded it. A wave of sadness came over me. I remembered that sadness when I read this scripture this morning. (oh in case you were wondering the fence was rebuilt and stood the test the second time :))
KNOWLEDGE
Wow – the writer is continuing exploring this thread of wisdom. This is his understanding, which is now the inspired Word of God, in regards to the outcome for those who do not or will not seek their wisdom and insights from God.
This scripture speaks to devastation, there are physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects to the dreadful loss we incur when we choose to stumble onto the wrong path in life.
The picture painted is one where we have actually invited our enemies to come into our house and help themselves, not only to everything we have but to everything we are currently working for. They can wander in unchecked, and with confidence take our children’s inheritance, our own emergency funds, our health, our wellbeing, our peace, our future and our strength.
We left in the end with nothing but a life of labour ahead of us, so that others may have the benefit.
How sad, how depressing, ………..how unnecessary!!
Stop where you are right now, how do you feel when you think about this? Let’s go back to verse 7 …….” And now, O sons, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth”.
We have the antidote, the solution, the conditions for blessing and success in life. It’s our choice.
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 “labours” in Hebrew is pronounced ” ‘eseb” and appears seven times in the Old Testament. In the ESV it is translated into the English words, pain [Gen 3:16]; anxious [toil]; labours; sorrow; toil; harsh; and, pot. [broken]. Here in verse ten, it could be translated as “pot”, so that all you have that you need for today is handed over by your choices to others.
WISDOM – what words of guidance have you departed from recently?
STRENGTHS THOUGHT: Responsibility is for the best rather than against the worst, raises its’ hand when mistakes are made, serves others, and helps others own their own ways.
Allan’s Unauthorised Version – [as you go astray, others are satisfied and their desires and overfilled from your vigour and health, meanwhile your own pots are given to strangers.]
PRAYER: Father, thank you for today. Help me to receive my directions, instructions and help from you each day.
I so love feedback – please do scroll down and use a few moments to bless me?
Thank you pastor Allan
You have beautifully painted a picture for us to understand, inviting the enemy into our house…
At the same time how we have an antidote.
Thank you for helping us to think what words of wisdom – we have departed from God?
Precious words of wisdom. Thank you Allan,
Amen to this word ! We have the antidote, the solution, the conditions for blessing and success in life. It’s our choice. Everything in our life is about making a choice , how we will do life, how we will speak, what our attitude will be, where we draw strength from, what we put value on … it’s all based out of decisions we make daily, every moment of our lives matters because we have a choice.
Thank you for your profound truths to open up the word of God for better understanding
Thanks again Allan. The disappointment of the fence would have been real after such satisfying hard work. Fences create boundaries which play a big part in protecting us. Just recently our 2 and a half year old grandson learned how to open the back gate onto the golf course so we went out and purchased a padlock not to imprison him but rather to protect him! Wisdom has a lot to do with protecting us from not just the outsiders but often from ourselves!
“We have the antidote, the solution, the conditions for blessing and success in life. It’s our choice.”
So well written pastor Allan.Thank you.
When we make ungodly choices in life ,the emotional ,psychological and physical trauma is truly devastating.and robs us of future blessing.
It is really not worth traveling down that road and giving up the greatest opportunity of loving and living Gods way.
Without God, life is hard. But He continues to provide the hope we need to survive. Thanks for today’s message Pastor Allan. God is our safety net and shield when the elements are harsh and unrelenting.
More adventures- thanks Pastor Allan!!
Making bad choices can have serious consequences & often all our hard labors & wealth can easily go down the drain & benefit the ungodly. This can affect the whole family & many others as we have experienced & so the importance of not letting offense & pain affect your decisions is critical to our future. Being diligent in seeking God on a daily basis seeking wise counsel & staying plugged into what the Holy Spirit is saying are great safeguards in hearing warning bells when we are facing challenges & having to make big decisions. Once we get into pride arrogance & being unteachable leaving things unchecked & don’t make Jesus the centre of our lives this is a dangerous place where we can invite our enemies in & reek havoc in not only our own life but many lives.
This message teaches us to choose carefully who we invite into our lives. If we do not heed the Word and let enemies in, they will plunder and destroy, leaving devastation in their wake. In these times, with all the distractions and temptations, we have to be ever vigilant.
God’s wisdom provides us with all the strength, the immunity that we need to safeguard us all our lives. We have to choose not to stray from the path.
Hi ps Allan; thx u for God words; well good decision is significant in our life; well went we don’t make good one special in spiritual life we fall and loss; so in my point of view went arrive a one age x me old ; definitively I don’t want to loss of direction and instruction from God
Thx u
God bless
Have good weekend
Amen!
We have the antidote, solution, the conditions for blessing and success in life. It’s our choice.
And we should choose wisely !
Thank you for this wisdom Ps Allan.
We have the antidote, the solution, the conditions for blessing and success in life. It’s our choice. – Love this.
I felt so sad reading after your hard work with the fence.
This is so true we do have the antidote, the solution, the conditions for blessing and success in life, and It’s our choice.
Love your strength thought. So much Gold.
Thanks Ps Allan.