Don't Be a Stranger

(Proverbs 5:6 NAS77)  She does not ponder the path of life; Her ways are unstable, she does not know it.

The focus here is what was called an “adulteress” (2114a) in verse 3.  In the KJV it is translated “strange woman.”  The word means stranger which implies foreigner.  So what is being inferred here for Christians is someone who may be physically in the same location as believers but it not of the same mind.  This can be an honest non-believer or a church attender who does not truly believe.

Some people refuse to “ponder” (6424) the “path” (734) they should follow.  These people would be considered an adulteress or stranger to God.  Pondering means to consider the relative values of things, to weigh your options and make decisions based on that thinking.  We might use words such as Christian meditation, reflection, musing.  We are expected to take the input we receive from reading, listening, observing and the voice of the Spirit and apply it to our lives.

I do not see an inability to understand implied here, but a lack of effort.  How often do we take the words of the preacher, teacher or guru and just go with it without thinking?  Even worse, how often do we ignore what is presented to us?  We are to meditate, compare, contrast.  In short we are to have our minds turned on at all times.  One of the teachings of Proverbs is that people tend to be ignorant fools by choice, not by genetics.

Every once in awhile I hear stories of people who buy cars and after a period of time the car stops working.  They take the car to a mechanic and one of the questions he asks is, “When was the last time you changed your oil?”  You see it coming, don’t you?  The answer is, “I’m supposed to change the oil?”  If I didn’t know people, I would think these stories are made up.

So don’t fall into the pattern of the adulteress.  Don’t be a stranger to the paths of God.  Put your brain and soul in gear and think about all the decisions you have to make today.  It will make a difference in the path you follow tomorrow.