Mon.'s Devo - The House of the Rising Sun

Read Pro. 7:4-27
The "strange woman" in Proverbs stands for any temptation in your life that acts like a temptress. To most people it is sexual in nature, but not to all. It may be appetite, gambling, anger. In today's reading the person who has chosen God's wisdom is observing a person who is being seduced into sin. His first mistake is that he is walking near the corner where the temptress lives. He chose to walk that way. If we want to get free of a pattern of sin we have to change our pattern. The Bible calls this fleeing. His second mistake is that it is getting dark. We feel better about our sin if we can do it in secret where we feel hidden. We forget that night is day to God and he sees what we do in secret. God loves the light and Satan loves the dark. His third mistake is that he stops to talk to her. She is subtle and lies waiting for him to come. The devil knows how to set a trap for us, he is really good at deceit. She makes her move quickly; she grabs him and kisses him and immediately starts her spiel. She starts by trying to sell her self-righteousness to wear down his morals. She says she has made peace offerings, and payed her vows; sounds like a regular church-goer. She has been looking for him and he shows up (must be divine appointment). Then she moves on to the seduction and talks about how great this is going to be. She has spread tapestries on her bed, with carved works and fine linen from Egypt. He bed is perfumed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. (The devil can make sin look wonderful.) And what's more, they can enjoy it all night because there is no way they will be caught. So he gives in to this perfect deal not knowing that it is really leading to his sorrow, not his pleasure. Her ways lead to death and hell, not life and heaven. And it fades to the tune of "The House of the Rising Sun": "...she's been the ruin of many a poor boy, and God I know I'm one."
Lord, help us change our patterns that lead us to make the same mistakes. Lead us by your truth and let it be our guide.