"And I saw among the naive, and discerned among the youths a young man lacking sense, passing through the street near her corner; and he takes the way to her house." PR 7:7-8
Proverbs 7 is a classic portrayal of a man steering himself away from the right path, and "descending to the chambers of death." It does not glamorize or romanticize the futility of "looking for love in all the wrong places." It gives a clear, concise summary of the consequences of continually making the wrong choices.
Everything that makes me laugh isn't funny. Recently I heard a former POTUS campaigning for a candidate, and he pontificated, "Why would you want a President who continually lies to you?" I burst out in what can only be typed as, "BWAHAHAHAHAHA!" It was loud!. No one under 30 got the joke.
The Pontificator in Chief went on to describe how, as a boy, getting caught, with his hand in a cookie jar caused him red-faced shame, and taught him the valuable lesson, to remove his hand.
Of course, he was lying. It is what he does. For eight years, he took the nation down a dark, and slimy road with his addiction to sexual sin and marital infidelity. As a grown man, his wandering eye and predatory hands grabbed for more than cookies. Everyone over 30 knew it. They got the joke, but it wasn't funny then, and the more he ages, the seedier his legacy becomes.
Proverbs warns us that dirty old men begin their journey towards depravity, at an early age. Sexual sin, like any other, does not age well. When young people observe older people engaging in some public form or it, their first response is, "EWWWWWWWWWW!"
The warning of Proverbs is designed to create that same, proper response in the heart of a young man. If a young man doesn't see sin, the way God sees it, he takes the exit off of the high way and ends up on a dead end street.
Notice the toxic cocktail described in the life of the young man in Proverbs. He was lacking sense, and he was passing through. He knew exactly where he was going. He knew when he was near his destination. This was no accident. It was a plan. He had done it before, and he would do it again.
Proverbs reveals a pattern of behavior. The young man had cruised by the home of the woman, until his "EWWW" turned to "WOW!" That happens every time a man puts black tape over the flashing light on the dashboard of his character. The warning light can no longer be seen, but the consequences remain on course.
Prayer keeps a man in touch with God's view on his behavior. Pilots have to file a flight plan before they take off. Checking in with the tower, avoids hitting debris on the runway, or the danger of flying into a storm. Prayer does the same thing. Before you reach the point of no return, check in with the tower. What appears to be a fly over, may lead to your downfall.
TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!