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 15:18-21(KJV):
18 A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.
19 The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.
20 A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother.
21 Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: but a man of understanding walketh uprightly.

Thoughts for the Day:

The book of Proverbs is a wonderful book of good advice. These verses talk about how a bad temper, slothfulness, dishonor to parents and foolishness show a total lack of wisdom in a person's life. Verse 18 says a person who is slow to get angry will appease contention and strife, while the hot-tempered man stirs up strife. There is another scripture in Proverbs that tells us essentially the same thing.

Proverbs 15:1-2: "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness."

As a Christian, we must learn how to overcome anger and allow the Holy Spirit to control our tongues. If we ask the Lord for His help in this area, he will deliver us from the spirit of anger. Anger has wreaked many a life, as it not only hurts the one who yields to it, but it can also permanently destroy the relationships between family and friends, as no one wants to be around an angry person.

Verse 19 tells us that the slothful person (sluggard) will suffer, by walking on a path in this life that is hedged with thorns.  A slothful person is one who is lazy and irresponsible.  They are always running into trouble, because they fail to take their responsibilities in this life and there is a penalty to pay for ignoring them. For example if a person fails to keep good records of his banking procedures, he can end up writing a check for monies he does not have in the bank.   This can lead to fines and even become a criminal offence if the overdrawn amount is big enough. At the least, it creates a bad reputation for a man.  Irresponsibility in bookkeeping can lead to a thorny problem in one's life. On the other hand, a man who is righteous and responsible shall walk on a plain road without confusion.

Verse 20 tells us that a son who is wise will make his father glad and bring honor to his mother, while a foolish son will despise his mother and bring shame upon her. One of the 10 Commandments directly addresses the issue of honoring parents and tells us that when we obey this commandment, we have the promise of long life upon the earth.

Exodus 20:12: "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee."

There are people today who dishonor their parents in many ways and this is very displeasing to the Lord.  One of the most common ways that people dishonor their parents, is to simply ignore them. Many people today are so selfish that they just do not take time to visit or remember their parents and grandparents. It is very painful for good parents to realize their children are so selfish. These children may find themselves in a similar situation, if they do not repent; as the Bible says we reap what we sow.

Verse 21 says that folly is a pleasure to one who has not heart nor sense.  The wise man is different, as he walks upright on a straight path. We all can choose the path we walk on. The fool will have a difficult path with a hedge of thorns, while the wise man will walk the straight and narrow way of blessing. 

Prayer for the Day:

Dear Father God, I thank you for showing me daily the path of righteousness and helping me to walk on it.  Lord, deliver me from every angry thought so that those thoughts do not become deeds.  I desire to have a clean heart and mind.  Lord, grant me the strength to perform my responsibilities toward all men and most of all, to take care of my responsibilities in the kingdom of God. Help me to make this world a better place to live.  Lord, fill me with Your spirit so that I can love all men with the love of God.  Thank you for your loving kindness toward me and my family. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.