July 5 - Prov. 5

Mark well that God doesn't miss a move you make, he's aware of every step you take. The shadow of  your sin will overtake you; you'll find yourself stumbling all over yourself in the dark.
     Prov. 5:21, 22 (MSG)

Sometimes I find it helpful to read a passage from a different perspective or translation. Such was the case this morning as I read chapter 5 from The Message, a translation by Eugene Peterson. It reads more like a paraphrase and uses terms expressions and a wording that you might hear on the street.

In one of the few chapters that is fully dedicated to one theme (Peterson uses "the seductive woman" instead of calling her "the adulteress"), I note that the path to sin always starts as something that looks innocent, yet it grows and the end result will be devastating and destructive. It's what the NT speaks of in James 1:14-15 - "but each one is tempted when , by their own desire, they are dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire is conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full grown, gives birth to death" (NIV).

The "growing shadow of your sin" needs to be nipped in the bud early in the process, before it grows into a life of bad choices and regrets. It's part of the reason why Solomon, in his later years, reminds us and tells us to "remember our Creator in our youth" (Eccl. 12:1). Don't let the shadow grow so long that it overtakes, but turn to the One who offers forgiveness, life, and a new start.