Prov 7:8 [ESV] passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house
At a friend’s house one night, we were having a beautiful time of worship. I had not properly met the young man leading the worship. He was a gifted musician, but more than that he seemed to just know how to lead us deeper and deeper into worship.
Later on as we were all having a cup of tea, and starting to think about the late night drive home in Scottish winter, I sat beside him and asked him to tell me his story.
He told me how he had been a worship leader in a vibrant local church in England, and as the church grew so did his ministry and opportunities. Then his marriage got into difficulties, and after a year or two his wife asked for a divorce. They separated – against his desire, and eventually divorce papers were served.
Friends at church started to distance themselves from him, he was taken of platform “for a time” he was told. Within a short time he left the church, hurt, and believing that his ministry was finished, and that he had let God down, and so he was finished as a Christian as well. He still believed that he told me.
We chatted about grace, second chances, third chances and so on. I told him I thought that he was not finished, but in the brokenness he was about to find new depths of worship and gratitude for a God who never gives up on us. We both cried a little. I sensed God doing something in this young man’s life.
I met him again a few years later and he was back in ministry, leading worship in a massive vibrant church. There was a softness about him, that was a sense of God working through the brokenness.
I don’t know anything about his marriage, and have no interest in knowing the details. I do know that he was broken, repentant, and that is exactly where God meets us, even after what we think is the worst possible thing, has happened.
KNOWLEDGE – There are ways of life that we just know are not healthy. We see ourselves drifting and wandering. The thing about Satan is that he is intent on destroying believers. It’s his way of trying to hurt God. He does not just want you to give in to temptation, he wants to lead you into complete degradation and destruction, where you are left with nothing, no hope, no future, and no peace. There is a battle raging for your soul each day. Our place of safety is to stay hidden in Jesus. Stay in the word, in prayer, in fellowship. The young man in the proverbs has isolated himself from Godly counsel, and is wandering like a sheep to the slaughter, unknowing of the price he will pay for the decisions he is making.
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 “passing” in the Hebrew is pronounced as ” ‘abar ” This is. The word used in Exodus 12:12 when God says he will “pass through” the land and execute judgements on all the gods of Egypt.
The Greek word in the LXX is “παραπορευόμενον – paraporeuomenon – passing”.
Προπορεύω appears once in the New Testament in Luke 1:76
[ESV] And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go [Προπορεύω – proporeuo] before the Lord to prepare his ways. (This is about John the Baptist).
So there is an intentionality about this word. The young man in Proverbs 7:8 does not find himself by accident in the wrong part of town – he is there intentionally.
WISDOM – your feet will follow your heart. So, keeping your heart right with God is the best way to keep your feet in the right part of town, so to speak.
STRENGTHS THOUGHT: The talent of Focus can take direction and stay on track regardless of the potential distractions. What a beautiful talent to help us persevere in the face of temptation and challenges.
Allan’s Unauthorised Version –
You cross over the street, by her stronghold, marching along the path to her home.
Passing – crossing over
along the street – the street
near her corner – beside her stronghold
taking – marching
the road – on the path (or way of life)
to her house – to her home.
PRAYER: Father, thank you for today. Help me to walk in your ways, and to bear fruit in season.
To chat to me as a professional coach/mentor – allan@theallankey.com
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