Job 31:1

I have made a covenant with my eyes.

Job has lost everything that is dear to him, and in chapter 31, he tells how he was innocent of sins. He earlier told of his good deeds, and now in this chapter, he begins to tell of the sins that he did not commit, one of which he describes with this verse: adultery.

Thoughts for the day...
A couple of years ago, all of the men in our church went through the study of a book called Every Man's Battle. This is a book about winning the war on sexual temptation. This was one of the most powerful, and most important, book studies I've ever been a part of. One of the things we read about and discussed is exactly what Job says in this verse, and that is to make a covenant with our eyes. What this means with me is, eight ears ago, I made a covenant with Lisa that she would be the only love of my life, the only woman that I will give everything I am, and everything I have, to. She's the only woman to whom I will give my passion for the rest of my life. To give less than everything to her and to our marriage is to break our covenant, the vow I made to her. To even look at another woman lustfully is to break my vow, and this verse is a reminder of that vow.

I find it unbelievably disrespectful when I hear someone say something to effect of, "Just because I can't eat doesn't mean I can't look at the menu." Guys, you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you love your wife the way we're commanded to love our wives, like Christ loved the church, such a phrase shouldn't even find its way into your thought processes. All you need is what you've already got. There's a difference between appreciating the beauty of a woman (they are God's creation) and lusting after her. Unfortunately, that line is blurred for some guys, or it just doesn't exist. And to those for whom that line doesn't exist, you're disrespecting the one who you promised before your friends, your family, and before God, that you would be devoted to her only. Let's have a chat.

My Prayer
Father, help me remember the covenant I've made with my eyes, that they are to gaze longingly only upon Lisa. Help me to avoid the pathetic "I'm a guy, I'm wired to look at women" excuse and give all of my focus, all of my attention, and all of my affection to the one who is everything to me. She is who I promised my devotion to, and she is my beloved. *smiles* Thank you for the blessing that is Lisa, God. Because I do not deserve her, she deserves nothing less than everything I have.