"I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon"
This is the continuation of the temptress’ four-dimensional description of sin. One of the strongest nerve and memory connectors in the human body is the sense of smell. So if the adulteress can get you to imagine or remember these sweet-smelling fragrances, it anchors the sinful acts that she wants to entice you into directly to a sweet fragrance.
Those who are experts at luring people into sin know that you must have a person mentally participate in sin before this person will actually participate in sin. In this case the adulteress must, therefore, get you to picture yourself in her bedroom with her in the midst of the smells and sights and sounds. She must then make you take an active part in that mental picture that she is creating. If you enter into the mental picture, then it will be very difficult, if not impossible, for you to say no in the actual world.
This is why mental discipline is important. We are to fill our mind with godly, pure, wholesome, enjoyable, righteous thoughts and mental pictures. We are to say no to the mental constructs of sinful events. Embracing a sinful scenario mentally is a sin as Jesus says, "If you look on a woman to lust after her, then you have committed adultery with her in your heart."
Do not allow the agents of temptation to build a mental picture of sin in your mind. It always leaves out the consequences and the negative difficulties. Sin is never as good in actuality as it is mentally.
Do not allow anyone to build a fantasy world of sin in your mind – whether that fantasy world involves stealing, lying, blasphemy, rebellion, murder, or sex. Each of these types of scheming and plotting is not harmless but is the first step to giving in to temptation.
Right now you may not have a person painting a picture of the wonders of marital unfaithfulness, but you do have some aspect in your life presenting the glamour of sin and how moving in a sinful direction will fix your problem. This is a trap and a lie. It may fix your problem of boredom at the expense of significant negative consequences. Our whole culture is laughing at actual sin and encouraging thinking about it. Each and every person who plays with sin mentally or actually will pay a price for it. Don’t be one of them. Listen to Solomon and his warning. Steer clear of thinking about the joys of sin.
Until tomorrow,
Gil Stieglitz