Jonathan Moore
Proverbs 7:1-5
Follow my advice, my son; always treasure my commands. Obey my commands and live! Guard my instructions as you guard your own eyes. Tie them on your fingers as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Love wisdom like a sister; make insight a beloved member of your family. Let them protect you from an affair with an immoral woman, from listening to the flattery of a promiscuous woman.
Why is the sex drive so powerful? Chemistry - dopamine and oxytocin create an addictive combination of bonding and pleasure. Instinct - the need to reproduce in order to survive affecting decision making and behavior. Finally, compulsion - which unless controlled can adversely affect relationships and mental health. Hence the guard rails of covenant relationship (marriage) and fidelity (faithfulness) which guard both parties against abuse and pain. Life can be woeful or wonderful. Wisdom makes the difference!
BEGINNING AND ENDIN
Genesis 43:18 KJV
And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.
🌾 Parable: The Farmer and the Shadowed Field
There was a farmer who owned two fields.
One field sat in full sunlight—rich soil, easy rows, and a gentle breeze. The farmer loved working there. Everything grew quickly, and the harvest always came early.
The second field lay in the shadow of a tall ridge. The soil was rocky, the wind harsher, and the work slower. Every time the farmer walked toward it, he felt a knot in his stomach. He often whispered, “Lord, why must I work this field too?”
One morning, after a night of heavy rain, the farmer went to check both fields. The sunny field had flooded, the soft soil washed out, and the young plants lay flat.
But the shadowed field—rocky, stubborn, difficult—had held firm. The roots were deeper. The plants stood strong. The ridge that once felt like a burden had shielded the field from the storm.
The farmer heard a quiet voice in his heart: “Do not fear the hard places. I am strengthening you there.”
And from that day on, he walked toward the shadowed field with steady steps, knowing he was not alone.
🌿 How It Connects to Isaiah 41:10
Just like the farmer, we all have “sunny fields” and “shadowed fields” in our week. The easy tasks and the hard ones. The moments that feel smooth and the ones that feel heavy.
Isaiah reminds us that God doesn’t just meet us in the easy places—He strengthens us in the hard ones. The shadowed field may feel like a burden, but it’s often where your roots grow deepest.