Prov 7:10 [ESV] And behold, the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.

 

There is an old saying that goes “if something looks too good to be true, then it’s too good to be true.”

I was approached for a new role when I was about thirty years old. The family that approached me owned and ran the business and it was of such a size that they needed to bring in a professional manager. 

We went for lunch together, and I visited with them at their house. I interviewed with their consultant, and we came to an agreement. In some ways it was a step down from what I was doing, but it was for sure a fresh challenge.

We seemed to get along really well, and everyone was gentle and considerate.

There was a challenge though – they wanted me to take on the responsibility of holding their business – but they were not really willing ever to let go of the business. There was tension, and I was not skilled enough to navigate that tension early on, so within a short period of time, I was a puppet leader, constantly trying to do in detail what they wanted done, and unable to introduce any changes. It was a poor way of working. I own the responsibility of my part for sure.

The icing on the cake however, came when the lady who owned the business started screaming in my face in front of all the staff on the shop floor one day. Then it became a normal practice.

I don’t think I turned out to be what they were looking for, and they certainly were not what I was looking for. It was a bit of a mess. 

 

 

 

KNOWLEDGE – taking time to make big decisions is a often a good indication of wisdom. Not being pressurized by others deadlines or emergencies, but holding our shape, and working through the details. I was recently considering a move to another organisation, and one of the first questions I asked myself was, is this a good cultural fit. Thirty-five years later, a lesson learned is helpful. What  about you, what challenges, failures, or mistakes have you endured, and what gold have you been able to draw from them, for your future?

 

 

 

 

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 used for “wily” is pronounced as “n’suriym” in Hebrew, and translated as “secret places” –  connected to the word “nasar” – to guard, watch, protect, keep, preserve – to be hidden. So there is a sense that this temptation is not revealing its intentions, but showing one thing while bringing another.

The LXX presents Proverbs 7:10 as “And the woman meets with him, having the appearance of a harlot, which makes the young men to flutter the heart.”

The KJV has “And behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtle of heart. 

The understanding for us is that temptation comes showing one thing, but is not revealing its true purpose, until too late.(and we mostly already know this).

 

 

 

WISDOM  – there is great wisdom in intentionally using our years to surround ourselves with good counsellors and being vulnerable with them to gain great insights and foresight.

 

STRENGTHS THOUGHT: Maximiser takes what is already good and helps to make it great – imagine how that can help us in our daily walk with God.

 

Allan’s Unauthorised Version – the wife, the woman, causes an encounter, wearing her garments of prostitution, and secretive in her heart.

 

And behold the woman – the wife, the woman

meets him – causes an encounter

dressed – in her garments

as a prostitute – of prostitution

wily – secretive

of heart – in her heart and emotions

 

PRAYER: Father, thank you for today. Help me to recognise temptation, and for my feet to make good choices each day.

 

To chat to me as a professional coach/mentor – allan@theallankey.com

 

 

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