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 18:4(KJV): "The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters, and the
wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook."
Proverbs 18:4(Amp):" The words of a (discreet and wise) man's mouth are as deep
waters (plenteous and difficult to fathom); and the fountain of skillful and godly Wisdom
is as a gushing stream (sparkling, fresh, pure and life-giving)."
Thoughts for the Day:
This verse in Proverbs describes a wise man's words
as deep, pure waters that bring life. This verse tells us that the words
of a wise man are not just surface words, but words that come up out of a man's very
being. We have heard the expression, when commenting about superficial people,
that they are spoken of as "shallow;" and lacking any depth. This verse
contrasts those kind of people, with a wise man of God who is a man of depth.
His words are like a gushing stream whose waters are sparkling, fresh, pure and
life-giving. A man (or woman) whose words are like this, is someone who is full of the Spirit and the word of God. It is
the Word of God that is brings life and refreshing to others. Jesus told us we could be
filled with His Holy Spirit. When we yield to Him, we can be His spokesperson and impart
that same life He gave us, to others.
John 7:37-39:
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man
thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers
of living water.
39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for
the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
Before the Charismatic renewal came, there were many people in the denominational church world
who had never heard about the beautiful
gifts of the Holy Spirit. God saw the need for this beautiful truth to be restored to His
entire church so He began pouring out His Holy Spirit upon all of His people regardless of
their church affiliation, and many received and began "speaking in tongues" and
"praising the Lord."
"And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of
my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young
men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my
handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy"
(Acts 2:17-18).
"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in
the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the
Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar
off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" (Acts 2:38-39). "While Peter
yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of
the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that
on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak
with tongues, and magnify God" (Acts 10:44-46).
Peter prophesied that the baptism with the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit) would be available
to all believers in the last days. The last days refer to the time between the first
Advent (birth of Christ) and the Second Advent (the coming of Jesus to establish His
kingdom). Therefore we are living in the last days. The first Advent has already occurred
and He is coming soon to establish His reign. It is evident that the baptism in the Holy
Spirit is being poured out today on all who will receive it. Many who are receiving are so
overjoyed with this beautiful experience they begin to enthusiastically share it with
others. Sometimes in their enthusiasm, "speaking in tongues" is stressed beyond
what the Holy Spirit intends. This then puts too much emphasis on "speaking in
tongues" instead of on the real gift of the Holy Spirit, which is being filled with
His Presence.
This out-of-balance emphasis causes the gifts to become more important than the Giver.
The Holy Spirit's presence is always more important than that of the evidence of that
presence. However, we need both God's nature (love) and God's power (His gifts). We should
stress neither to the point of being imbalanced. The Lord wants His entire church to enjoy
all of His blessings and gifts. Instead, those who are gifted, many times, look down on
those who do not know the blessings of Pentecost. On the other hand, those who haven't
experienced the baptism in the Holy Spirit often view those who "speak in
tongues" with distaste, especially when they have not sought the Lord in regard to
this experience. The world of non-believers views a split, even confused, church. We
should not reject something new, just because we do not understand it. We would have never
gotten saved if we had taken this attitude.
Certainly, we are admonished to be on guard and not just
receive and believe everything we hear. However, some go to such extremes as to become
narrow-minded and closed to some beautiful truths in the name of being careful. What
should our role as Christians be in regard to acceptance of a new thought, idea or
doctrine? We are told to prove all things, not to reject them because they might be
strange or new to us. However, we should not receive them either, until we first prove
them. How do we prove things? All true Christians are in agreement that our standard is
the Word of God, the Bible. God left us this Book as a reference, standard, or gauge so we
could know whether something is good or evil, truth or error, right or wrong.
2 Timothy 3:16-17: "All scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished
unto all good works."
One of our major faults as Christians is that we tend to quote men on certain subjects
instead of referring to the Book God gave us. If we go before God with an open heart and
ask Him in faith to show us what is truth, He will certainly do so, as He will not give us
a stone if we ask for bread. If we ask Him to give us the gift of the Holy Spirit, He will
do it.
Luke 11:11-13:
11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a
stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more
shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
Prayer for the Day:
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for
Your wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit. When You baptized me in the Holy Ghost, You gave
me a gift of boldness to witness and a desire to pray more. I also appreciate the
power the Holy Spirit that enables me to resist sin and temptation. Lord, without You and
Your Holy Spirit, I would be overcome by the enemy. With Your Spirit though, I am
able to resist the devil and cause him to flee. I also appreciate the freedom to worship
You by praying in the Spirit. Through Your gift of the Spirit, You have also revealed
more of the Bible to me. Lord, fill us all daily with Your love and Your Holy
Spirit. Thank You for Your grace and mercy in my life, and the lives of those I pray
for. We need you, Lord. Use us as Your servants and help us to be open to receive
all You have for us. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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