Thought for the Day

Verse 3 - A man who habitually dallies with prostitutes is selfish and lustful: traits which adversely affect his entire life. Because he is without character or wisdom, he never becomes successful, and squanders his father's resources. As our societies grow in wickedness, many are tempted into sexual sin not only through prostitutes, but also through pornography. The Bible tells us to flee from all fornication, for we are not our own: "Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Corinthians 6:15-20).

Verse 4 - A ruler either establishes the land by good judgment, or overthrows it by the corruption his evil character promotes in others. Evil leaders are more interested in the fulfilling of their own personal desires than the good of the people. Their decisions can be swayed by bribes (gifts) from unscrupulous people. A wicked king or ruler lays heavy burdens on his people, such as high taxes, in order to live luxuriously and glorify himself. There were religious rulers in Jesus' day who did the same kind of things in spiritual matters. He likened them to poisonous snakes and warned them that they were on their way to hell: "For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers...Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" (Matthew 23:4,33).