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 2:8(KJV): "He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints."

Thoughts for the Day:

When we look at this scripture, we find it says, God keeps the paths (plural) of judgment. This means that there are two paths of judgment.  Judgment, therefore, is two-fold:

(1) There is judgment for the wicked. They are punished for their deeds, as the penalty for sin is executed upon them. They reap what they have sown:

Ezekiel 11:21, "But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord God."

Galatians 6:7-8: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."

(2) There is also judgment for the righteous as they are rewarded for their faithfulness:

Proverbs 13:13, "Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded."

We must all one day stand before the Judgment Seat of the Lord and receive our judgments.  Just as people are brought to court in trials, so it is with the judgment of God against evil.  Some may be convicted of a crime and receive imprisonment or the death penalty for evil deeds.  However, on the positive side some people go to court contesting an injustice that they have endured and they are awarded a settlement of money for their unfair treatment. We can trust God that even if we have been treated unfairly at times, He will eventually reward us in the proper way and prove our innocence. Proverbs also says He preserves the way of the righteous.  That means He will protect and take care of His own and make a way for us even if there appears to be no way in the natural.  The Lord delights in answering our prayers and making a way out of our problems, even if it takes a miracle.  Remember, miracles are God's specialty!

Dear Father in Heaven, Thank you for your love and concern for me and the things that concern me. Lord, I was judged wrongly this week by someone I loved and befriended. Yes, it hurt, but I also hurt for them, as I see how they believed a lie of the devil, and now they no longer want this relationship.  Lord, though they were wrong, what do I need to learn from this experience? Lord, I confess I wanted to strongly justify and defend my position, not only to them, but to the other concerned parties also.  However, I know that I must leave this to You, as You are the righteous judge.  You know what really happened, and even if I spoke it in defense of my position, unless you revealed it to them they could not hear it anyway.  So, at this point, I shall leave this all to you to repair. I will simply voice the words that you give me to share in this situation. I know those words will be gracious, as You are gracious.  Thank you, that I will be able to  speak the truth in love, without justification or bitterness, and that at some time this relationship will be restored. I am trusting that you are a righteous judge and that as I keep your commandments, you will keep my way. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.