PROVERBS 7: THE WISDOM OF FAITHFULNESS

Proverbs 7:6–27 is about a young man’s interaction with a harlot, and it helps us see clearly the consequences of unfaithful living. People who walk in wisdom are faithful to God, and they experience the benefits of that faithfulness.

God Himself is faithful; however, just as He is faithful to us, He expects us to be faithful to Him and faithful in all of our ways and dealings with people.

Certainly, faithfulness is expected in marriage, and adultery is the opposite of faithfulness. To be faithful means to be loyal, devoted, true, constant, stable, dependable, and devoted. When a man and a woman marry and pledge to be faithful to one another, they each promise to be true to that one person in every way, and sexual faithfulness is one of the most important aspects of a good marriage. Sexual sin can be forgiven, but it damages a relationship in such a way that it is rarely completely repaired. A lack of faithfulness creates trust issues, and regaining lost trust usually takes a long time and lots of hard work.

Self-discipline is required if we intend to be faithful, because there will be times when we want to quit or stray from our original commitments. Discipline usually hurts before it brings reward, but the reward always comes in due time if we do not give up. God is a “rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV), and diligence always brings benefits.