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 19:1-2(KJV):
1 Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.
2 Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.

Proverbs 19:1-2(Amp):
1 Better is the poor who walks in his integrity, than the rich who is perverse in his speech and is a (self-confident) fool.
2 Desire without knowledge is not good, and to be over-hasty is to sin and miss the mark.

Thoughts for the Day:

The advice and wisdom  given in Proverbs if heeded, will help one immensely in this life.  Verse 1 places great value on the virtue of integrity.  One may be rich; however, if he has no integrity and is perverse in his speech and is a liar, his wealth will be in vain.  Many wealthy men live in shame when their tactics are exposed as to how they obtained their wealth.   Because they gained their wealth by falsehood, greed and under-handed means, they lost their reputations and integrity. Many even end up serving jail time for their crimes. Even though for years it might have looked as if they were respectable citizens, their sin eventually caught up with them. The scripture warns us that our sin will find us out.

Numbers 32:23: "......... behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out."

The Bible tells that it is better to be poor and walk in integrity, than to be a self-confident fool. One who is rich and gained his wealth by his lies will eventually reap what he has sown. However, the poor man who walks in his integrity and follows the Bible's principles for prosperity will, in time, be blessed with an abundance. We all shall reap what we have sown.  If we are honest and good we shall reap good things, just as the dishonest and evil person will reap evil things.

Galatians 6:7-9:
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 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.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Verse 2 in our study warns us that just because we desire or want something, it may not be a good thing for us to have. If we do not have proper knowledge about the thing we desire, it may hurt us. We should think about and study situations before we get into them. We can be over-hasty in situations that may cause us to sin.  I remember years ago I knew a woman and her husband who were traveling evangelists. She told me that she was tired of staying in people's homes and motels while traveling, so she started praying for a recreation vehicle. She did not receive it at first, so she became more insistent about getting one. She did not think that the delay for receiving her answer was from God, she just thought the devil was robbing her of her desire. Finally, she was given an RV (with monthly payments).  She thought her dream had come true.

However, what she thought would be a blessing turned out to be a curse for them.   She told me that they became more exhausted driving the RV, than the car, as it took them longer to get to places. It was harder finding a place to park. On top of that, she had to keep it clean, plus cook and wash dishes.  When they were traveling by automobile, she didn't have to cook or clean. The RV idea led to more work for her, instead of less. The payments on the RV took the money they could have used to eat out and travel. She was now burdened with cooking and cleaning on top of ministering each place they went. The thing she desired was a drain and burden on her.  She had not thought out the practicalities of the RV lifestyle. This is an example of having desire without knowledge.

Psalm 106:15: "And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul."

We must also remember not to be hasty in making major decisions.  It is much easier not to get into a bad situation in the first place, than to get out of one. It sometimes takes years to correct mistakes that we make in haste. If we spent the time in prayer asking God for His wisdom in the major matters in this life, we could save ourselves much suffering. It is better to go slower than to go too fast.  It is usually the devil that presses us to hurry up and make quick decisions that we will regret later.  If we are moving too slow, at least we are still behind with God up ahead; however, if we go too fast, we can get ahead of God and then He is no longer leading us, as we are calling the shots.

Prayer for the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for Your love and patience toward me.  Lord, help me to trust You, when I do not see an answer to my prayers right away. I do want to take the time to come before You and find out if there is a reason for my delayed answer  Perhaps it is a "God delay" instead of the enemy delaying it.  Give me Your knowledge and wisdom as to what You want me to do in the matters I face in this life.  Lord, help me not to make hasty decisions that would not only wrongly affect my life,but others as well. Help me to be more faithful in prayer.  I ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.   Amen.