Proverbs 2:6 For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. 7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. 16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words; 17 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. 18 For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.
This passage of scripture speaks specifically of the most common sin affecting young people, that of sexual impurity, and indulgence in intimate physical relations with the opposite sex before marriage, and before we are prepared to handle the responsibilities of life in a prudent manner. It is the studied purpose of the adversary to tie our feet whilst young, before we have a chance to make sound, sensible decisions in life, for he desires to have the youth bogged down with heavy burdens that affect the rest of their lives, so that his manifold temptations can assert themselves against their souls for very many years.
One of the most common mistakes that are made by the youth, and which should be avoided, is that of having children at too early an age, before education and employment are procured, for it becomes much more difficult to accomplish one's basic goals in life, if the responsibility of raising kids starts prematurely. Another common mistake that often accompanies the previous one mentioned, is that of shacking up with someone of the opposite sex, before a marital commitment is made, and before one has an opportunity to see the other fishes that are in the sea. The earth is comprised of two thirds water and one third of land, thus, there are are millions upon millions of good "Fish" out there.
Often, when hurried decisions are made before one has the time to mature properly, it takes only a few years for buyer's remorse to settle in, and when this occurs, the enemy of souls stands ready with another temptation, for those who committed themselves to each other in haste, to now renege on the decisions then made. These mistakes can be avoided if we would only wait upon God, and not rush ahead blindly, following impulse and infatuation to the detriment of our souls. As a matter of fact, one of the greatest temptations for the youth to overcome, is that of impatience, for serious blunders can be successfully avoided if we would only learn that all-important lesson of waiting upon God. Let's read:
Psalm 27:14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
In the instance of Samson, he became infatuated with someone who was not a Christian, and although his parents tried to restrain him from making such a hurried move to tie the knot, he went ahead anyway, and united himself to the girl of his dreams, for no other reason than she pleased him well. But his decision came back to bite him in the rear, for she, coming from a pagan background, was not of the same mind or upbringing as those who had a covenant relationship with God, and because of these and other disparities, the hasty marriage soon ended on the rocks, with his wife and her father's house being burnt with fire, literally. Let's read:
Judges 14:1 And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. 2 And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife. 3 Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.
Judges 15:1 But it came to pass"... "that Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber"... 2 And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion"... 4 And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between two tails. 5 And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives. 6 Then the Philistines said, Who hath done this? And they answered, Samson, the son in law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife, and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire.
Now, the youth in our day may not come to such an untimely end as did Samson's first wife, whom he married quite hastily, yet the dire results of making impulsive choices can, and will affect those who make them in many adverse ways. Let us therefore be content to wait on God's guidance and leadership in our lives, for whatsoever and whosoever is to come our way, will certainly be made manifest through the good providence of God in due season.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which calls upon young and old to exercise restraint, by patiently waiting upon God, for His perfect will for our lives will certainly be fulfilled in the fullness of time, with the least amount of sorrow and heartache to bear. Let's read:
Proverbs 3:4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!