Daily Devotional
               Betty Miller shares her daily devotionals which are based on the book of Proverbs in the Bible.   

  The Wisdom of God

Verses for the Day:

Proverbs 14:26-27(KJV):
26 In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.
27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

Proverbs 14:26-27(Amp):
26 In the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is strong confidence, and His children shall always have a place of refuge.
27 Reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death.

Thoughts for the Day:

In different places in the book of Proverbs, the fear of the Lord is mentioned. The mention of the fear of the Lord, it is always accompanied by the declaration that this holy fear will bring life to the one who has it.  What is the fear of the Lord?  In the Amplified version of the Bible it is stated more clearly -- the fear of the Lord is a reverence toward God. It is also a worshipful attitude toward God. One who has the fear of the Lord will believe what He says in His Word. In another chapter of Proverbs we are told that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Proverbs 9:10-11: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased."

When we have a respect and understanding of the Word of God, it will produce a desire to obey God. In doing this, we are promised a long life, strong confidence, and a place of refuge. The keeping of God's Word brings us under the umbrella of His protection. As stated in verse 27, this worshipful fear is like a fountain of life.  By walking in God's path we avoid the traps that the devil sets for us that will lead to death.

What is true worship? Some people have wrongly equated singing gospel songs as worshipping God. One can worship God while singing; but singing alone does does not mean that one is worshipping God.  Praise is the same way.  Singing is not synonymous with praising God. Worship and praise are attitudes of the heart and are demonstrated by our actions of obedience to God.  In fact, the highest form of worship is obedience to God.   Yes, we can worship and praise God while singing inspiring songs from our hearts; however, it is the voice of the heart that God hears, not just the words of a song. God states in the Bible that there are many who draw near to Him with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him. God calls these people hypocrites.

Matthew 15:7-9: "Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

The heart or the spirit of man speaks louder than a man's word. God sees the hearts of all men, and not just the outward appearance.  He stated this to Samuel, the priest, when He chose David to eventually become king over Israel. Though Saul "looked" more like a king on the outside, God saw his heart, and anointed David to rule in his place.

1 Samuel 16:7: "But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart."

Without God, all men's hearts are wicked and deceitful. We must be "born again" to get a new heart so that we have the Holy Spirit and then are able to obey the Lord. With God's help we can align the words of our mouths with the Word of God so that they are acceptable in God's sight. Our prayer should be as the one David prayed in Psalm 19. David knew that it would take God's strength and His redemption for his heart and words to be acceptable to God. It is true for us too!  The Lord has to empower us to live our lives in the fear of the Lord, so that we might walk in His blessings day and night.

Psalm 19:14: "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer."

Prayer for the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your many promises of blessings.  I am thankful that You are my refuge and I can run to You when I am in trouble.  I am also grateful that You keep me from the traps of the devil.  Lord, I do love You, and I ask that You cleanse my heart from any thing that is not like You.  Strengthen me to walk worthy before You and my fellow men.   Lord, restore the "fear of the Lord" to Your people today.  Lord, forgive us when, in certain areas, we have become too casual about the things of God. Instill in us, Your people, a reverential fear of Your Holy Name and Word. I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.