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 17:23-25(KJV):
23 A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment.
24 Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.
25 A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him.

Proverbs 17:23-25(Amp):
23 A wicked man receives a bribe out of the bosom (pocket) to pervert the ways of justice.
24 A man of understanding sets skillful and godly Wisdom before his face, but the eyes of a (self confident) fool are on the ends of the earth.
25 A self-confident and foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her who bore him.

Thoughts for the Day:

These verses in Proverbs continue to expose the actions of wicked men -- men who lie and take bribes, men who are irresponsible. Verse 23 tells of the man who will lie and pervert judgement for a gift that is a bribe.  Dishonest men do not care who they hurt. They always look out for number one.  In today's society, selfishness is rampant.  Many people are easily tempted to do things if the price is right, no matter who they hurt. That is why some innocent men are in jail.   They are not guilty, but someone perverted judgement and through lies and deceit they were judged wrongly.  Joseph was a man in the Bible who was jailed through false accusations. Joseph was a steward over Potiphar's house.  Potiphar had a wife who was a flirt and she tempted Joseph to have an affair with her while her husband was gone, but he refused.  This angered her and when her husband came home she accused Joseph of trying to seduce her.  This led to Joseph's imprisonment because of her false accusation.  Joseph refused to become bitter even though he suffered in the prison.   He used that time to get closer to God, and in time, the Lord made a way for his release and promotion to the second highest position in Egypt as Pharoah's right-hand man.

Genesis 39:7-21:
7 And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.
8 But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;
9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
10 And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.
11 And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.
12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.
13 And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth,
14 That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice:
15 And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out.
16 And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home.
17 And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me:
18 And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out.
19 And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled.
20 And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.
21 But the LORD was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

Proverbs 17:24 describes a man like Joseph.  He was a man of understanding and used skillful and godly wisdom in all of his affairs; therefore, God promoted him from a pit to overseer of Potiphar's house, and then from prison to Pharaoh's right hand man. This should be an encouragement to all who may be in the pits or in a prison of any kind. He is able to bring us out and honor us when we honor Him, no matter what our circumstances are.

Fools, on the other hand, do not have their eyes on the Lord, but rather are always looking to the ends of the earth.  They are always looking to see how they can get the most from the world.  Many have a wanderlust spirit, and would just like to roam the world with no responsibility.  Because they do not take their responsibility, they never are promoted in this life. In verse 25 of Proverbs, we read that parents who have this kind of son (or daughter) experience much grief and heartbreak because of their foolish children.

Prayer for the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father, I come to You with a thankful heart for all that You have done in my life.  Thank You for the many answers to my prayers and I appreciate You always being there when I call.  Lord, I pray for all of those who do not know You.  Use Your children to tell them about the good news of salvation.  Give each of us Holy boldness to witness to those around us who need to hear about the love of Jesus.  May our lives be a testimony of Your love.   Forgive us when we fail You and help us to overcome all the things that would hinder us from being like You.  I ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen.