Proverbs 9:13-18 (NLT) 13The woman named Folly is brash. She is ignorant and doesn’t know it. 14She sits in her doorway on the heights overlooking the city. 15She calls out to men going by who are minding their own business. 16“Come in with me,” she urges the simple. To those who lack good judgment, she says, 17“Stolen water is refreshing; food eaten in secret tastes the best!” 18But little do they know that the dead are there. Her guests are in the depths of the grave.
At first glance this might seem like an unusual passage to use for a devotional. In our minds, devotions should be uplifting and motivating; something to bring cheer to the challenges of our daily lives. This passage definitely carries some negative and ominous vibes. And yet I do find encouragement here. Within these verses I find a simple reminder to be a careful listener. There is a lot of foolishness and downright deviousness in the world today, and it doesn’t take long to hear persuasive words enticing us to follow or believe this or that. In the example provided in our text, men were minding their own business, and it seems that those who lacked good judgment were the ones at risk. The challenge for us is finding truth. Without sound judgment we are the ones at risk of becoming prey to the world’s persuasive words. A solid foundation in Scripture is the best antidote against persuasive words that would cause us to stumble or lead us away from God’s truth.
Gracious Heavenly Father, our LORD God Almighty,
Daily we are confronted with temptations made stronger by the pull of persuasive words. Grant us strength to rely on Your wisdom and courage to remain true.
In the Name of Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior, Amen.
The devotion Persuasive Words was originally written for Friday, April 15, 2016; for Maranatha Devotional Guide, an Advent Christian Publication https://acgc.us As the original author of this devotion, I reserve the right to update and share it on my current devotional blog Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com Author’s Note: This devotion was re-written from the original. (14JUN2026)
Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com
Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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