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 20:26-28 (AMP):
26 A wise king winnows the wicked (from among the good), and
brings the threshing wheel over them (to separate the chaff from the grain).
27 The spirit of man (that factor in human personality which proceeds
immediately from God) is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost
parts.
28 Loving-kindness and mercy, truth and faithfulness, preserve the king, and his
throne is upheld by (the people's) loyalty.
The book of Proverbs even records
instructions to kings and rulers, as well as guidance to individuals. In
verses 26 and 28 we are told that a wise king (or ruler) will remove
the wicked from his court (or staff). The analogy given here is an
illustration of how in Bible days they separated the grain from the chaff at
harvest time. This threshing instrument was also known as a "cart wheel."
It consisted of three or four heavy rollers of wood, iron, or stone, roughly
made and joined together in a square frame, which is in the form of a sledge or
drag. The driver sits on the machine, and with his weight helps to keep it
down as the oxen drag it over the grain to separate it from the chaff.
A good king or ruler will attempt to winnow
out those in his kingdom who are wicked, so that justice prevails. The Lord,
Jesus, as the soon-coming King, also gave a parable in the New Testament about
the separation of the tares and the wheat that will happen at His coming.
He also plans to deal with and remove the wicked in His kingdom. You can read
about this in Matthew 13:24-40.
Verse 28 in today's study tells us that
the throne, or government of a king or ruler, can only be upheld by the people's
loyalty in that kingdom. As individuals, we should all be grateful when a
good man is the ruler over our respective governments and when this is true, we
should be loyal supporters of that person. When leadership is supporting
things that foster loving-kindness, mercy, truth, faithfulness and integrity in
our land, we should be thankful. We are blessed to be able to vote in our
nation which allows us to have a part in electing our rulers. We should
pray that we make the right choices and study to see if the candidates support
those things that the Bible upholds. For example, if a candidate supports
abortion (an evil that the Bible condemns), then we must not vote for them.
We should check voting records and then make our choices based on how much they
agree with Biblical principles. We are accountable before God as to how we
vote. We are also accountable if we are apathetic and just don't take time
to vote, thereby allowing the wicked to make the choices for us.
Verse 27 of our study tells us that the
God who gave us a spirit, is also the God who searches our spirits through His
candle or lamp. This means God has eyes to see the innermost thoughts and
intents of every man's heart. When God created the first man, Adam, He breathed
the breath of life into him, giving him a spirit.
Genesis 2:7: "And the LORD God formed man
of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;
and man became a living soul."
Man is a trichotomy made up of spirit, soul
and body. He is a spirit (spiritual being) and he has a soul (mind,
emotions and will) and he lives in a body (the physical body).
God designed man as a functioning unit with his
reborn spirit to be in charge of the soul (mind, will, and emotions), and with
the body in subjection to the soul and spirit. The Bible tells us that
man was created in the image (spiritual image) of God. Until we understand this, we cannot begin to
understand ourselves.
Genesis 1:26-27: "And God said, Let us make man in our image,
after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,
and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the
earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So
God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him;
male and female created he them.''
First let us notice God said, "Let us make man in our image.''
God is
also a triune being. The Godhead is made up of the Father, the Son
(Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. We must have some understanding of this
mystery if we are to understand our own makeup. Perhaps through an
analogy we can understand better how He can be three in one. A married
man with a family is a father, a husband and a son. He is not three
different men, but has three different roles. He relates to his children,
wife, and parents in a different way. It is similar with the Lord. He
relates to us as the Father, as the Son (Jesus), and as the Holy Spirit.
God does not change; He is holy, He is spirit, He is eternal. God is
one, but He has three forms, even as water can manifest as a solid,
liquid, or gas, yet is still one compound. As ice, it takes a definite
form and shape; as a liquid it flows freely, and as steam, it becomes
vaporous. Even so, the Godhead manifests Himself so He can be seen as
Jesus, felt like rivers of water as the Holy Spirit, and known as the
invisible power of the Father.
Dear Father in Heaven, Thank You for
Your Words of wisdom to us in this wonderful book of Proverbs. Help us to
heed them in all of our affairs and being especially careful not to neglect our
civil duties, such as voting. Give us Your wisdom and guidance as we go to
the polls. Let us see the candidates with Your eyes and hear them with
Your ears. May we not be so traditionally tied to a political party that
we would be blinded and not see the things You would have us see in the men and
women running for the various offices. Let us look at issues and people with
Biblical principles in mind, so that when we vote, we vote for the things that
You approve of in Your Word. I ask this in the name of Your Son, Jesus. Amen.
Note: Click here for
more information about What
The Bible Says About Voting
|