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 24:6 (AMP):
Thoughts for the Day:
This verse in Proverbs
states that for the purpose of
war, good counsel is a must. In any situation where a person is considering a
battle to obtain their objectives, a multitude of wise counselors is a must. A
group of wise people will be able to look at the situation from every angle and
be better able to strategize. Team work and unity are vital for any large
victory to be obtained. With a multitude of many counselors, the goals and
purposes will not be frustrated, but will be completed because of good help.
Each person who is wise will have good suggestions to add to the over-all plan
to win the needed victory, especially when going to war.
The Bible
records many wars throughout its pages. In fact, many of these wars
document the accuracy of the Bible, as archeology has uncovered artifacts
with data that verifies the records of them exactly as recorded in Holy
Script. Why has God allowed wars in the earth? What is the role of
soldiers and how can one reconcile taking the lives of other humans in
that role? When God created the earth and put man upon it, He pronounced
that it was all good until men sinned and fell from that estate. Because
mankind was given a free will and they could choose to obey God or do
evil, we now live in an environment where evil men and good men are at
war. God hates war; however, it is necessary to maintain order in the
earth and overcome those who would like to destroy good. In fact, the
first war ever recorded was the war in heaven where Satan and his evil
angels fought against God and his angels. We know this war was won by
God through Christ.
Revelation 12:7-11:
7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the
dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil,
and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the
earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and
strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for
the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our
God day and night.
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of
their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Some Christians have
difficulty with the actions of government in the area of war, as the
heart of Christianity is to love our enemies, not destroy them. How do
we reconcile this as Christians? We must understand that the Bible
deals with the role of government differently than that of an individual
Christian. Throughout the Bible, the main role of governments was to
protect its people from threatening invaders and to maintain law and
order within its borders. This was done by maintaining a military
force. Those who would argue against a country's military position
must also ask what a nation would be like without policemen and prisons.
If we desire to see justice
done and see wars end and yes, even the end of all forms of killing, violence,
terror and death--we must realize that this can only come about through the
kingdom of God coming to this world. God's kingdom can only come about as all
men yield to God and His laws. The time is soon coming when Jesus will return to
this earth. At His second coming, He will then rule with a rod of iron and the
devil will be chained and his followers destroyed. Satan will no longer tempt
men with evil, so there will be no more wars, murder and evil in the earth. We
shall enter the Millennial Reign of Christ, when the earth shall rest
from its tribulations. However, until that time, God has instructed us, as His
children, to pray for His Kingdom to be manifested in our individual lives and
communities. We can change the world through allowing Christ to rule in our
lives and thus affect those around us with His love and grace.
Isaiah 2:4:
And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they
shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks:
nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any
more.
For those who refuse to allow His reign in their lives, God has set government
authorities in the earth to restrain evil by enforcing the laws of the land. Granted, they are imperfect and some are even evil. However, the alternative
would be that evil would overcome those that were good, if there were no laws.
We can change the bad laws by allowing God to use us in our spheres of
influence. We must exercise our right to vote when we have that privilege. We must do our part to pray, witness and become involved in the world
to change it for the better. That is the way the kingdom of God will be
established in our world, through allowing God to reign in our every day lives
in the place we are planted. This is the way we can prevent other acts of terror
from destroying more people in our nation and the nations of the world. May the
King and His kingdom come quickly!
Prayer for the Day:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Give us wise leaders in government, who will employ wise men and women as their
advisors and counselors. Lord, may our leaders be those who have a heart
for God and who live principled lives of integrity. Lord, You told us in
the Bible to pray for kings and those who are in positions of authority, so that
we may live quiet and peaceable lives and lives that will demonstrate godliness
in all we do. Lord, help us to minister to others by serving in our communities
as You lead us in our civil duties. Give us wisdom as we vote for those who will
rule over us. May we have discernment to see the hearts of those who seek our
vote. May we see the truth as we examine their past life and records to see if
they are standing for Biblical principles. May I not be critical, but discerning,
as I make my choices. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
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