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 18:13-15(KJV):
13 He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.
14 The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?
15 The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.

Proverbs 18:13-15(Amp):
13 He who answers a matter before he hears the facts, it is folly and shame to him.
14 The strong spirit of a man will sustain him in bodily pain or trouble, but a weak and broken spirit who can raise up or bear?
15 The mind of the prudent is ever getting knowledge, and the ear of the wise is ever seeking -- inquiring for and craving  -- knowledge.

Thoughts for the Day:

These verses in Proverbs are like so many others in this book, as they stress the importance of speaking properly and listening to the voice of wisdom. We are told in verse 13 that we should listen to all the facts before we respond to a matter and make a statement about it.  This is wisdom; whereas making premature judgements will cause us to be ashamed should we find out we were wrong in our suppositions.

Today, all over the world there is a lot of "gab" going on.   Everyone seems to want to be heard on all kinds of issues, even when they know nothing about them.  Talk shows are at an all time high in popularity. The media and the newscasters encourage people to respond with their opinions.  This is not bad in some circumstances. However, when people do not know the facts about the subject for which they are questioned, it would be better not to voice an opinion.  Instead,  many people repeat something they have heard someone else make a comment about, even though they have not sought to study the whole matter out. This is how rumors are spread. 

There is an old expression that says, "God gave two ears and one mouth, so that we should listen twice as much as we speak."  Although this expression is not in the Bible, we are told in many places in the Word that we are to be careful with the words of of mouth.

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.

Verse 14 in this study speaks about a man who has a wounded spirit. If he is not strong in the Lord, he can be destroyed as he can not sustain a broken spirit. Many times a wounded or broken spirit comes from evil words that are spoken against a person that wear them down until they are not able to raise back up.   It is very important that we build up our "spiritual man"  by reading the Bible daily. When we do this, it causes us to become strong in the spirit.   Just as we must feed our natural man to be strong in body, we must feed our spiritual man to become strong in the spirit.  Reading the Word of God does the same thing for our spirits as eating good food does for the body. It builds us up and makes us strong in God. Then, if we are attacked by the devil with sickness, pain, verbal attacks, or any kind of trouble; we will not only be able to sustain the attack, but we can overcome it by applying the Word of God to our situation. Every problem that we may face, our Lord has already provided an answer for it so that we might overcome.

Continuing in our study in verse 15 we see that a true seeker of the Lord will ask Him for the knowledge that he needs to overcome any problem that he encounters. We can ask God for the wisdom we need to apply to the threatening things that come to our lives.  We all will face tribulations in this life; however, the Bible tells us not to fret or worry as Jesus has made a way for us to overcome any trial or tribulation.  One of the ways He does this is to furnish us with His knowledge and wisdom to overcome in that trial. The book of Proverbs is truly a wealth of wisdom for all who seek him diligently.

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Prayer for the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father, we love and worship You today. Thank you for giving us the revelation of Your Word so that we may have the knowledge and wisdom we need daily as we walk in this world.  Lord, help me to not to be one who thinks that I must speak about every situation that arises.  Help me to guard my mouth and speak only when I can bless and edify others.  Lord, I do not want to speak just to be heard.  Lord, I ask you also to forgive me when I have spoken inadvisably and brought pain to someone because my words were not kind or loving.   Fill my mouth daily and let me be a blessing in this world.  Also, let me be a good listener as well and when I do give advice let it be Your Word that I speak.  I ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.