My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. Proverbs 1:10

All around the headquarters of Lutheran Hour Ministries we have signs which tell us not to cough into our hands.

We're supposed to cough into our elbows. Apparently, that's a lot more sanitary.

I don't think that elbow-coughing is going to prevent the most recent virus-like problem that made the news last week.

Not one, not two, but three North American universities have found that when a person gets divorced, it increases the divorce rate for those around them.

Yup, those universities say that divorce can be caught almost like a virus. The psychologists call it "divorce clustering." Divorce clustering means a split up of one of your immediate friends raises your chances of getting divorced by 75 percent. It means that when someone near you gets divorced, you get informed about the good and bad of the break-up.

But, according to these university scholars, people almost always hear the good stuff, the so-called "benefits," and they ignore the bad stuff or the down-side to divorce.

Isn't that interesting? It's interesting . . . but hardly surprising.

Adam and Eve only heard the good stuff when Satan tempted them. Samson only saw the good stuff when his girlfriend sought to secure his secrets. The children of Israel only saw the fun stuff when they started to worship other gods.

It's a fact, the devil, the world, and our flesh all make promises and set forth temptations which sound incredibly good, but aren't. It is only later we find out we've been deceived and that God had been telling us rightly all along. The author of Proverbs said it concisely: "My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent."

Here's another proverb that isn't in the Bible: My son and daughter, if God tells you something, believe Him. He's God and you're not. He knows what He's talking about.

And just what does God say? He says to love Him with everything we've got and to love our neighbors as much as we'd like to be loved. Now if you'd like to see that kind of love in action, you'll likely not find it on your block or community. To find such a sacrificial caring, you have to turn to the Savior whose life and death and resurrection were dedicated to your deliverance.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, forgive the many times my ears listen to temptations rather than trusting You. Send Your Holy Spirit so my dull brain can eventually catch on: You and Your Word speak truth. In Your Name I ask it. Amen.

NOTE: The theme for today's Daily Devotion was shared by Ian Adnams, director of Communication for Lutheran Church-Canada.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: Psalms 106, 111-112    1 Thessalonians 2

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