The tabernacle is a figure of God’s habitation. The ark, a symbol of God’s presence, was to have preeminence over all the other items that went into God’s new home.

When we become followers of Christ, the temptation is to try to do everything at once and deal with all of our shortcomings as quickly as humanly possible. Your pastor tells you from stage that fixing your marriage is priority #1. Joyce Meyer tells you to get your act together as you watch the new Christian station. The friend that introduced you to Christ is calling to invite you to a Celebrate Recovery group. That book that your mom recommended gives you 5 steps to financial freedom you have to take this week. In short, you feel overwhelmed with this Christianity thing!

Don’t worry! As with Moses, God will give you daily direction as you make your heart his home. But you must know that He will always put first things first. His presence inside of our hearts is what makes us his tabernacle, so we should endeavor to nurture our relationship with him daily. Exodus 40:21 tells us that Moses “brought the ark into the tabernacle and hung the shielding curtain and shielded the ark of the covenant law, as the Lord commanded him.”

First things first. Get to know God, give him preeminence in your life and He will begin ordering your life daily. Hide his Word in your heart and listen to his wisdom. The worst thing you can do is worry about everything that needs to be fixed and neglect the One who can fix it all. The ark is in place and that is huge! Now get ready for some miraculous changes in your life.

So was George Washington a Christian, a Deist, or an agnostic? The best way to answer that question is to examine his actions, his words, and the testimony of people who knew him.

His Actions

By his actions, Washington proved himself to be a committed Christian and churchgoer. He served for many years as a vestryman, a non-clergy member of his church’s leading body. Records from Truro Parish, an Episcopal Church, indicate that he was actively involved in helping oversee church business and was financially generous to his church.¹

For more than fifteen years, he served in various voluntary leadership roles in his church. While he was President and toured the nation, he attended church services in every city he visited, sometimes as often as three times a day.²

In His Own Words

George Washington often made reference to God’s involvement and guidance in his life and in the affairs of the nation. We don’t have the luxury of video, but history has preserved many of his writings, which give us an insight into his heart for God and the role faith played in his life.

In a circular letter he sent to all the governors of the thirteen states between June 8 and 21, 1783, George Washington concluded the letter with this prayer:

“I now make it my earnest prayer, that God would have you and the State over which you preside, in his holy protection, that he would incline the hearts of the Citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to Government–to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another, for their fellow Citizens of the United States at large, and particularly for their Brethren who have served in the Field, and finally, that he would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all, to do Justice, to love Mercy, and to demean ourselves with that Charity, Humility, and Pacific temper of mind which were the Characteristicks of the Divine Author of our blessed Religion, and without an humble imitation of whose example in these things, we can never hope to be a Happy Nation.”³

In his resignation address to the Continental Congress on December 23, 1783, Washington wrote: “I consider it an indispensable duty to close this last solemn act of my Official life, by commanding the Interests of our dearest Country to the protection of Almighty God, and those who have the superintendence of them, to his holy keeping.”⁴

On September 19, 1796, Washington delivered a farewell address to the American people in which he expressed, among other things, his feelings about the importance of religion and morality. Washington argued that without religion, morality is impossible to maintain. Today, secularists are promoting the concept of morality without religion, the very thing our first President condemned because without religion, morality quickly erodes.

“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them.

A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked: Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice?

And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”⁵

In a speech to the Delaware Indian Chiefs on May 12, 1779, Washington encouraged them to learn the religion of Jesus Christ. “My ears hear with pleasure the other matters you mention. Congress will be glad to hear them too. You do well to wish to learn our arts and ways of life, and above all, the religion of Jesus Christ. These will make you a greater and happier people than you are. Congress will do every thing they can to assist you in this wise intention; and to tie the knot of friendship and union so fast, that nothing shall ever be able to loose it.”⁶

On October 3, 1789, Washington wrote this Thanksgiving Proclamation, setting aside a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God: “Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor– and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God.”⁷

In his General Orders on July 9, 1776, Washington encouraged every solider to live and act like a Christian solider. “The General hopes and trusts, that every officer and man, will endeavour so to live, and act, as becomes a Christian Soldier defending the dearest Rights and Liberties of his country.”⁸

In his General Orders on May 2, 1778, Washington ordered church services to be performed every Sunday at 11 am. He stated that he expected every officer to attend church in order to be a good example, and that the highest glory of every patriot was to have Christian character.

“The Commander in Chief directs that divine Service be performed every Sunday at 11 o’clock in those Brigades to which there are Chaplains; those which have none to attend the places of worship nearest to them. It is expected that Officers of all Ranks will by their attendence set an Example to their men. While we are zealously performing the duties of good Citizens and soldiers we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of Religion. To the distinguished Character of Patriot, it should be our highest Glory to add the more distinguished Character of Christian.”⁹

In the Words of Those who Knew Him

From the eyewitness accounts of many people who knew Washington personally, he was a man of prayer who rarely, if ever, missed his morning devotions. Eleanor Parke Custis Lewis, George Washington’s adopted daughter and step-granddaughter, wrote a letter on February 26, 1833 in response to Jared Sparks’ request for information about Washington for his biography.

“General Washington had a pew in Pohick Church, and one in Christ Church at Alexandria. He was very instrumental in establishing Pohick Church, and I believe subscribed largely. His pew was near the pulpit. I have a perfect recollection of being there, before his election to the presidency, with him and my grandmother. It was a beautiful church, and had a large, respectable, and wealthy congregation, who were regular attendants.”

“He attended the church at Alexandria, when the weather and roads permitted a ride of ten miles. In New York and Philadelphia he never omitted attendance at church in the morning, unless detained by indisposition. … No one in church attended to the services with more reverential respect.”

“I should have thought it the greatest heresy to doubt his firm belief in Christianity. His life, his writings, prove that he was a Christian. He was not one of those who act or pray, ‘that they may be seen of men.’ He communed with his God in secret.”¹⁰

Jared Sparks also recorded that George W. Lewis, Washington’s nephew, shared this eyewitness account with him: “Mr. Lewis said he had accidentally witnessed [Washington's] private devotions in his library both morning and evening; that on those occasions he had seen him in a kneeling position with a Bible open before him and that he believed such to have been his daily practice.”¹¹

According to the testimony of a French citizen who knew Washington personally during the war and afterward as President, “Every day of the year, he rises at five in the morning; as soon as he is up, he dresses, then prays reverently to God.”¹²

During the Revolutionary war, General Robert Porterfield recounted how he found Washington “on his knees, engaged in his morning’s devotions.” Alexander Hamilton confirmed this account, commenting that “such was his most constant habit.”¹³

Upon Washington’s death, Congress asked Henry Lee, a close associate of Washington and former Continental army officer, to deliver the eulogy at his memorial on December 26, 1799. His words are forever engraved in our nation’s memory:

“First in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen, he was second to none in the humble and endearing scenes of private life. Pious, just, humane, temperate and sincere—uniform, dignified and commanding—his example was as edifying to all around him as were the effects of that example lasting…Correct throughout, vice shuddered in his presence and virtue always felt his fostering hand. The purity of his private character gave effulgence to his public virtues…Such was the man for whom our nation mourns.”¹⁴

Conclusion

Historical evidence overwhelmingly depicts George Washington as a man of prayer who was deeply committed to the Christian faith. He never referred to himself as a Deist in any of his writings. The fact is that both his words and his actions denote a deep Christian conviction that fueled his love of country.

He constantly gave thanks to Almighty God in his public prayers and proclamations. He humbly served God as an active member and leader in Christian churches his whole life. His daily habits of praying and reading the Bible clearly show a dependence on God for the grave decisions he made on a daily basis to shape the nation he led.

As an American and devoted Christ-follower, I am proud to call George Washington our founding father and a shining example of what a Christian leader must be. We live in a different America today—one that shies away from even the mention of Jesus’ name in public places and touts a more secular worldview in which God seems to have no place.

George Washington’s example of faith in leadership reminds us of what will make America great once again. It is easy to criticize and denigrate others who may not see the value of faith and morality to our nation’s future. But what is needed today is more men and women who would live like Washington lived—humbly submitted to God and fearlessly devoted to the welfare of our nation.

Celebrating life,

Brian

Copyright ©  2012 by Brian Alarid. All rights reserved.

References:

¹     Library of Congress. Religion and the Founding of the American Republic. Online. http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel06.html [19 March 2012].

²     Novak, Michael and Jana Novak, Washington’s God: Religion, Liberty and the Father of Our Country, p. 39, Basic Books, 2007

³     The Papers of George Washington. George Washington to John Hancock (Circular) 11 June 1783. Online. http://gwpapers.virginia.edu/documents/constitution/1784/hancock.html [18 March 2012].

⁴     The Papers of George Washington. George Washington’s Resignation Address to the Continental Congress. Online. http://gwpapers.virginia.edu/documents/revolution/resignation.html [19 March 2012].

⁵     Bartleby.com. Washington’s Farewell Address. Online.   http://www.bartleby.com/43/24.html [18 March 2012].

⁶     John C. Fitzpatrick’s Writings of George Washington. Writings of Washington, Vol. 15: Speech to the Delaware Chiefs. Online.   http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/ot2www-washington?specfile=/texts/english/washington/fitzpatrick/search/gw.o2w&act=surround&offset=18502415&tag=Writings+of+Washington,+Vol.+15:+SPEECH+TO+THE+DELAWARE+CHIEFS&query=the+religion+of+jesus&id=gw150049 [19 March 2012].

⁷     George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress. Thanksgiving Proclamation. Online.  http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/GW/gw004.html  [19 March 2012].

⁸     John C. Fitzpatrick’s Writings of George Washington. Writings of Washington, Vol. 5: General Orders Head Quarters, New York, July 9, 1776. Online. http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/ot2www-washington?specfile=/texts/english/washington/fitzpatrick/search/gw.o2w&act=surround&offset=5975853&tag=Writings+of+Washington,+Vol.+5:+GENERAL+ORDERS+Head+Quarters,+New+York,+July+9,+1776.+&query=as+becomes+a+christian&id=gw050226 [19 March 2012].

⁹     Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia. Washington, George, 1732-1799. The writings of George Washington from the original manuscript sources: Volume 11. Online.

http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=WasFi11.xml&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=320&division=div1 [19 March 2012].

¹⁰   Historic Valley Forge. Proof that Washington was a Christian? Online. http://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/youasked/060.htm [19 March 2012].

¹¹    Sparks, Jared, Life of George Washington, 522-23

¹²    Chinard, Gilbert, ed. and trans. George Washington as the French Knew Him: A Collection of Texts, 119

¹³    Meade, Bishop [William], Old Churches, Ministers, and Families of Virginia, 2:491-92

¹⁴    The Papers of George Washington. Immediate Response. Online. http://gwpapers.virginia.edu/project/exhibit/mourning/response.html [19 March 2012].

At first she was insulted that he would ask her, but by the end of the conversation she understood he was the Messiah she had been waiting for all her life. A bond formed between them within minutes. Even after all that, she still did not serve him water as far as we can tell! The nerve of that lady!

Suddenly, the disciples arrived at the scene, surprised that he actually conversed with this Samaritan ‘female.’ They offered him something to eat, knowing he was hungry and thirsty after the long journey that had brought him to Samaria. Contrary to normal behavior, Jesus refuses the food and drink and tells them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about” (John 4:32, NIV).

Somehow, without real food or drink Jesus had been fed and nourished! That ‘female’ the disciples had looked down on had given Jesus what he really wanted. They brought him food and drink, but she gave him what he desperately hungered for—REAL FAITH! No frozen piña colada could have been more refreshing than the drink she served him on that blistering hot day. Hebrews 11:6 gives us the skinny on what pleases God:  “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (NIV).

I complicate things when I worry about not measuring up in God’s eyes. I start thinking he wants the piña colada: my money, my resources, and my time. But all along he’s looking for a tiny glimmer of faith in me. Sure, that faith will propel me into great feats of generosity and ministry to the less fortunate, but it all starts with the kind of genuine faith that pleases God.

I hope my future conversations with God refresh him. I hope he finds faith deep inside my well when he thirsts again. How about you? What will Jesus find in your well the next time he stops to ask for a drink?

As a church volunteer I have always quoted this verse in a bittersweet way. I have to say that when I think of that statement, there is always pain associated with it. To me it has meant sacrifice and a sense of lost identity. ‘So in the end’ my thinking goes, ‘I completely disappear and my life does not matter after all?’ That sure seems to me like a waste of energy and resources on my part. And yet, I know that in order to be a fully devoted disciple of Jesus, this verse has to become real in my life.

So I had to read this verse again within its context. John the Baptist uttered these words after his disciples complained to him that the man he had baptized (Jesus) was taking over his gig as ‘head baptizer’ on the other side of the river. To this, John replied: “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:27-30, NIV).

This well-known phrase is given in the context of a wedding metaphor that completely obliterates my previous interpretations and, quite honestly, humbles me. In this metaphor, Jesus is the bridegroom, the church is the bride and John the Baptist the best man (the friend who attends the bridegroom). The best man is there for the bridegroom—to satisfy his needs and attend to his wants. He’s busy preparing the wedding ceremony and all its details: “Flowers, check. Bridesmaids, check. Violins and flutes, check. Guests, check. Radiant Bride, check…” And then the groom comes. All of a sudden, all the details of his work become simply an appropriate background for the main attraction—the bride and the groom. But he’s not sad. Everything is happening according to plan!

The best man yields center stage to the groom as He takes his place beside the bride.  There he stands, right by the groom’s side, imbibing the sights and sounds of the occasion. He sees the Bride smiling as he hears the groom whispering to her, ‘You look beautiful!’ He recalls that 10 minutes ago, the flower girl threw a fit and threatened not to walk the aisle beside the ring bearer who stole her toy. The pianist forgot her music. The Pastor was missing in action and the Bride’s dress had a stain as big as the state of Texas. But now, everything is perfect, as it should be for his friend’s big day. And that was his goal. He has done his job so well that all the groom can see is his stunning bride, and all the bride can see is her soon-to-be husband.

And then it hits me… I’m John the Baptist. You’re John the Baptist. If we have devoted our lives to serving Jesus and his church, we are the Best Man! Sometimes we figure ourselves the Savior, but we know we don’t make the cut! At other times, we get so tired of working, we’d rather be just guests, but we know we couldn’t handle it. So we stand beside the groom, shoulder to shoulder, on his big day.

It’s a relief we don’t have to play the Savior. It’s a privilege not to just be a guest. We decrease only to fill our God-given role; that of friends of the Bridegroom. What a beautiful picture of how Jesus looks at us in the big scope of things. We are his friends—his closest friends. With that comes responsibility but also great privilege. Sure, we’ll work harder than others. But we get to see him in his finest hour. We are criticized and unappreciated, but Sunday after Sunday we get to present his bride to him. We get to stand beside him, where he can see us, even if others can’t. I’ll gladly decrease in the sight of any guest if I can be God’s ‘best man’ for one day. I yearn to be his friend and I sure do love his bride. Being the best man is where it’s at!

That evening, we got all dressed up and headed to the restaurant. The closer we got, however, we noticed we were in a very dark and dilapidated part of town. There were no cars around us, no people walking the streets, and under the cover of night, it was almost impossible to find the sign for the plaza. We finally did but wondered what kind of place our friends had chosen. As we walked toward the plaza, I held on tight to my husband’s strong arm and he tried not to show how nervous he really was to be in such a strange place.

We looked for the restaurant but could not find it, so we went into the only place in the plaza that looked open—a liquor store. “Great,” I whispered. “They invited us to a liquor store!” We asked the attendant if he knew where this mysterious restaurant was and without a word, he pointed us to an old wooden door in the back of the store. My heart was pounding as we approached the rickety old door surrounded by empty beer bottles and discarded boxes. “What if we had been set up for a crime?” I know… I’m dramatic!

Brian went to turn the knob but it was locked. So he knocked. Once, twice, three times… until a rugged-looking man opened a small window on the door. In a threatening voice, he said, “What’s the code?” “What code?” we asked. Looking at us dismissively, he slowly closed the little window. We were puzzled and dumb-founded as we stood there staring at the floor. A few seconds later we remembered what our friends had told us, “When you get there, ask for Joe.” So we got the courage to knock again. The little window opened, and the same man barked, “What’s the code?” Sheepishly, Brian asked, “Is Joe here?”

At once, his demeanor changed and he swung the old door open to let us in. As soon as we took the first step, we entered a completely different world! Waiters dressed up in tuxedoes, chandeliers illuminating elegantly decorated walls, beautiful classical music being played by a live quartet, and our smiling friends waiting for us at a candle-lit table. Needless to say, it was a wonderful evening of laughter, great food and unforgettable memories. After we said our last goodbyes, I thought to myself, “What if we had given up on finding this place?” We would have never experienced the sights, the sounds, the great service, and of course, that amazing prime rib we ate down to the last bite! Joe’s Place was so worth our trouble!

Today’s verse tells us: “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it (Matthew 7:13-14, NLT).

It isn’t that the narrow gate to the kingdom is reserved for a privileged few. It’s that most people settle for the easy road to the easy gate. But easy does not get us anywhere worthwhile does it? A Big Mac at McDonalds up the road would have been easy and safe that night—but not worthwhile.

Today, you might feel very lonely on that dark narrow road God has placed you in while you look at the masses filing happily into the broad and attractive gate. Whatever you do, don’t go that way!

After all the trials you have been through you may ask, “What is the kingdom, after all? Is it worth my time, my sweat, and my tears? Right now it sure feels like a fairy tale. I need solutions now!” Romans 14:17 tells us, “For God’s Kingdom is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of the righteousness, peace, and joy which the Holy Spirit gives” (GNT). If you look for the easy way out, you’ll get temporary relief, but your problems will still be there tomorrow, won’t they?

The kingdom of God is not somewhere hidden in eternity. It’s here. It’s now. It’s just not the easiest place to find. But when you find it in your circumstances, in your pain, in your fear, it is so worth your trouble! The way there may require drastic changes in your lifestyle. It may demand walking all alone. But at the end of the day, if you choose the narrow path you get what very few get—right living, peace and joy.

So whatever difficult decision God is asking you to make today, go ahead, bite the bullet. However lonely that path is, walk on. I bet you can see that old wooden door at the end of the road, can’t you? Once you get there, just ask, ‘Is Joe here?’ The door will open and you’ll be so happy you stayed the course!

Things are so bad we just want to stay home! We go to work, do some errands, get our entertainment in and yes, we go to church on Sunday. When prayer is offered up for the city during service, sound bytes of negative media replay furiously in our minds. We pray, but we don’t want to… after all, “they’re ‘bad people’. They are getting what they deserve. Instead of being here at church, they’re out there selling drugs, getting drunk and killing each other. It’s Sodom and Gomorrah out there!”

But just when we don’t care anymore, Sodom and Gomorrah come knocking at our door. And when that happens, Sodom becomes so personal! That is just what happened to rich old Abraham in Genesis 14. He was minding his own business and looking after his vast wealth when the news came in.

‘The four kings captured all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, all their food and equipment, and went on their way. They captured Lot, Abram’s nephew who was living in Sodom at the time, taking everything he owned with them. A fugitive came and reported to Abram the Hebrew.’ (Genesis 14:11-13, MSG)

The invaders had taken all of Sodom’s goods, food and most importantly something that really mattered to Abraham—his only nephew.

Without hesitating, Abraham took the 318 fighting men he had trained for war and went out to save Lot. The story has a great ending. Abraham recovers all the stolen goods and brings Lot home. But that’s not all. He also rescues the ‘women and the other people’ (Genesis 14:16) taken captive by the four kings. What a newsflash! Those ‘other people were somebody’s nephews, nieces, brothers, sisters, and wives! If he hadn’t come, they would have all died.

At home, they were just statistics on the news. In the tar pits and the valley, alongside his nephew, they were terrified souls about to die at the hands of a foreign enemy. Abraham needed to see that for himself. We need to see that for ourselves. And sometimes we don’t see it unless Sodom comes knocking on our door. How sad.

Instead of waiting for a knock that hits up close and personal, why not see our city for what it really is—a large group of people (that include our family members) in need of help and love? Sure, bad things are happening out there while we lounge comfortably and catch up on our Bible reading. Let’s not wait until Sodom comes knocking. Let’s get out there and fight for our own as well as for everyone’s son and daughter. We’re all in this together! Get a heart for Sodom.

For all the accusations that could be leveled against the devil in the case of the fall of man, lying is not one of them—at least not outright lying. Everything he told Eve about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was actually true! You don’t believe me? Let’s go to Scripture then.

Adam and Eve did not INSTANTLY die, even though God told them they would if they even touched the tree. He could have killed them, but in His mercy He did not. The devil knew He was a merciful God.

Genesis 3:7 tells us, ‘Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked. Once again, the devil had told the truth. What about them becoming like God? In Genesis 3:22, God himself says, ‘The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil.’ The fruit had bestowed on them an aspect of the divine nature just like the devil had predicted. Since he told the truth, why was it wrong to follow his advice? I’m so glad you asked!

Even though everything he said was true, he did not tell the whole truth. You see, even when the devil tells the truth, he’s lying. He can’t help himself! He’s the Father of lies (John 8:44). The whole truth is found in God’s instructions to Adam and Eve prior to that fateful conversation with the devil: ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die’ (Genesis 2:16-17, NIV).

With half of the truth, the devil made them forget about the other half, which said that they were free to eat of ANY tree, including the tree of life. Its fruit would cause them to live forever with God in their state of innocence. The two trees stood side by side in the middle of the garden (Genesis 2:9). They were both in Eve’s line of sight, yet listening to the devil’s version of the truth caused her to suffer from selective blindness. The devil’s strategy: Focus on the wrong tree so you forget about the right tree! All she could see was the enticing gleam of knowledge. Sadly, she forgot about the sure promise of life.

Eerily, our conversations with the devil are very similar to that first one in the garden, aren’t they? I remember how he almost convinced me to toy with sexual sin before I ever met and married Brian. He said it was fun. He said it was natural. But that wasn’t the whole truth. The whole truth was that it would be fun and natural for a bit until heartbreak hit and I was left all alone once again. The whole truth was that God had a better man in store for me and that within the confines of marriage we could have as much fun as we wanted while resting in our commitment to one another.

So what is the whole truth regarding your situation? Remember what God said before you choose the wrong half of the truth. With every temptation of the devil, there is a promise of life within your reach. Choose life.

Did King Solomon really write this proverb? That is good question, considering his infamous ‘Guinness World Record’ of 700 wives and 300 concubines. I’d say he went near the door of adultery thousands of times every year.

One thing is for sure. Solomon knew what he was talking about when he warned us about adultery and immorality. He had first-hand experience with the heart-wrenching pain that comes with sexual sin. It cost him his relationship with God, his peace, his strength, and his kingdom.

David Guzik sheds light on the effect that immorality had on Solomon: ‘Because of lust, Solomon found himself in a place where he never thought he would find himself. He found himself burning incense at the altars of depraved pagan gods. He found himself at the altar of child sacrifice unto the god Molech. This is the power of lust – it can capture us in a spell, in a fog of spiritual confusion until we do things we never thought we would do.’

So how do we avoid Solomon’s sin and ultimate fate? By following the advice he never took for himself! The key phrase in Proverbs 5:8 is ‘keep to a path far from her.’ That word path denotes a direction, a journey, a course of life. Think of God’s path as the highway and immorality as the nearest exit off the highway. The Bible tells us to get a direction, a goal for our lives and follow it until the end. We will never run into adultery on the highway to God, but we can always choose to take the exit that will lead us there:

One phone call
A friendly lunch
A leisurely click of the mouse
An entertaining fantasy

Once you get near the door of immorality, it will cease you by the collar and will not let you go. You’ll end up doing things you never thought you were capable of doing. That is why King Solomon says, ‘Do not go near the door of her house.’ That’s where it starts. That’s where it ends. It’s simple. Stay on a path far from immorality and it will stay far away from you.

Not much is known about Jesus’ adoptive father, Joseph, but what has been recorded is nothing less than fascinating. We know from Mark 6:3 that people knew him as a carpenter. ‘Nothing amazing about that,’ you might think. Carpenters in New Testament times were blue-collar construction workers who earned average wages and lived a simple life. People did not think much of Joseph. In fact, people did not respect Jesus because he was the son of a poor carpenter—that much is obvious from Matthew 13:54-58.

People’s opinion of Joseph would not define him in the long run however. In fact, when introducing Joseph, the Bible glosses over his trade and describes him as a just man (Matthew 1:19, NKJV). And that is where the supernatural record of Joseph’s life begins. Because he was a just man assigned a heavy responsibility, God begins to personally guide him in the new task of parenthood.

In Matthew 1:20-24 an angel tells him in a dream to take Mary as his wife and assume responsibility for Jesus. Then in Matthew 2:13 another angel warns him to flee to Egypt and keep Jesus safe from the murderous plans of King Herod. Yet again in Matthew 2:19-23, Joseph is supernaturally instructed to move his family to Nazareth, where Jesus would spend the early years of his life. Time after time, Joseph relies on supernatural guidance to be a good father.

Today you may be working 9 to 5 as a construction worker, a secretary or a car salesman. All those hours at work seem worth it when you get to tuck your children safely into bed at night. You pray in the darkness that God would protect them from evil and yet you wonder if He’s listening.

People may see the hands made rough by your labor and despise you but God sees your heart and will reward you with the greatest gift of all—His friendship. Down here you may be known as one more blue-collar worker, but up there you are known as the friend of God! Don’t worry about your children, your provision or your future. Being the friend of God means that He shares his secrets with you and guides you along the right path for your family. So tonight, as you pray for your children one more time, rest assured in the fact that you are not alone in this thing called parenting. God is listening. He will speak. You just rest.

‘For the Lord detests the perverse 
but takes the upright into his confidence’ (Proverbs 3:32 , NIV).