Avoiding Traps

Read: Proverbs 23

"And put a knife to your throat if you are a man of great appetite." Proverbs 23:2

Examine:

This verse paints a pretty extreme picture for just how serious a man should take using moderation as a principle to guide his life.

Apply:

This verse applies not just to the things I eat. I must also guard the things that I think, say and desire. Traps are powerless without bait. The more I am controlled by my appetites the more susceptible I am to traps and failures.

Pray:

Father, nothing in my life scares me more than the pervasive nature of the things my flesh desires. I am clearly a man of great appetite in many ways and I realize just how vulnerable to failure that makes me. I ask that You create inside of me a desire to place a knife to the throat of the things I hunger for that do no lead me to You. Help me to guard my body by practicing moderation in eating and exercise. Empower me to take captive every thought and only meditate on things that are clean and wholesome. Bridle my tongue and teach me to weigh every word I speak. Overtake my desires and redirect them to seeking a deeper connection of life with You.

Regardless of what I may feel; Father I know that nothing in my heart, mind, or soul can bring satisfaction other than You. The honest confession of my mouth and cry of my heart is to be holy before You and grounded in the plans that You have for me. I want nothing other than to take up my cross and follow after You. The riches and pleasures of life are a pail comparison to the glory and joy that I have found in You. You are my greatest treasure and I pray, in fact I beg, that You become the greatest appetite in my life.