Consuming thoughts these last two days.

I, like most of my peers, am an Internet junkie. I keep tabs on several church planters and pastors across the nation and around the world. Yesterday I read this:

http://www.garylamb.org/2009/06/07/hardest-post-ive-ever-written/

Those of us who read the book of Proverbs a chapter a day might recall that chapter 4 regards wisdom as being so vitally important that verse 4 says:

Let your heart hold fast my words;
keep my commandments, and live.

Wisdom is exalted through the end of the chapter with statements like:

Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;
guard her, for she is your life. (4:13)

My son, be attentive to my words;
incline your ear to my sayings. (4:20)

and

Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
turn your foot away from evil. (4:27)

The fifth chapter begins with another call to "PAY ATTENTION!"

My son, be attentive to my wisdom;
incline your ear to my understanding,
that you may keep discretion,
and your lips may guard knowledge. (5:1-2)

Solomon then begins a rather thorough exhortation to stay away from immoral women and to guard your heart from sexual temptation. Probably the most memorable and "straight to the point"-ish verse in the chapter is verse 15:

Drink water from your own cistern,
flowing water from your own well.

Before Solomon instructs his readers on various other situations, he gives a final promise:

He dies for lack of discipline,
and because of his great folly he is led astray. (Pr 5:23)

As if that were not enough, chapter 7 is devoted to the ways of immoral women.

Now... let's put all of this into perspective:

1. Solomon was only a youth when he was anointed king of Israel and when asked by God for "anything" replied "wisdom." (1 Kings 3)
2. He, for various reasons, married and entered into relationships with many women.(1 Kings 11)
3. He wrote the book of Proverbs to/for his sons specifically. (Proverbs 1:8 and elsewhere.) His sons are royalty and he desires to share wisdom the Lord has allowed him to benefit from, and experience to avoid.
4. Solomon was used by the Holy Spirit to pen these Scriptures, which makes it infinitely profitable for you and me. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

I say all that to say this:

If you are in a relationship that needs to be secret... you are in the wrong relationship.