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:
21 My son, fear
thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:
22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them
both?
Proverbs 24:21-22 (AMP):
21 My son, reverently fear
the Lord and the king, and do not associate with those who are given to change
(of allegiance, and are revolutionary);
22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly, and who knows the punishment and ruin
which both (the Lord and the king) will bring upon the rebellious?
Thoughts for the Day:
These verses in Proverbs
tell us to respect authority, whether it be God, or the rulers in the earth, and
also to avoid people who are disloyal and unstable with a rebellious nature.
Verse 21 makes it clear that we are to give reverential fear to God.
God is the one who set the authority structures in the earth; therefore we
should honor those positions. He set government authority over cities and
countries, ministry order over the church, and parental order over families. It
was God who created the home and put the husband as head of it. He put the
offices of the five-fold ministry over the church with the apostles, prophets,
evangelists, pastors, and teachers as the leaders. He also wanted Israel in the
Old Testament, as the first nation led by God, to be an example of his
leadership over a group of people. God's plan in the earth is one of order, and
therefore He expects us to honor the offices and positions of earthly leaders
who rule in authoritative roles. Anarchy and rebellion are acts that are
motivated by the devil. (There is a Biblical and proper way to deal with those
in authority who abuse their positions; however, it is not revolt and anger that
has a mob mentality behind it.)
Romans 13:1-4:
1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of
God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and
they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not
be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the
same:
4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is
evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of
God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
Ephesians
4:11-12:
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and
some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ.
Ephesians
5:21-25:
21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the
church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their
own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave
himself for it.
Our study verses
also tell us not to associate with people who are unstable and keep changing
their minds. People who are rebellious and revolutionary are prone to disloyalty
too. They take sides, then they turn against the other side. They are
unstable in all of their ways. The scripture tells us that a double-minded
man is unstable in all of his ways. The Lord tells us that when we ask
something of Him, we must not be double-minded, but we must ask in faith,
believing that we will receive those things that we ask of Him.
James 1:5-8:
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men
liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a
wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
Verse 22 in
our study tells us that those who are given to change, and are unstable, will
suddenly come to destruction and ruin. That punishment could come as a
judgment on their sin from breaking God's laws, or it could come as penalty from
a ruler for breaking the law of the land, or it might be both.
Prayer for the Day:
Dear Heavenly Father,
I am grateful that You are a God of order, and I ask You to help me to always
obey Your laws and the laws in our land that are for our good. I ask You to
remove any rebellion from my heart and give me a submissive spirit. Lord, may I
always honor and respect those whom You have placed over me. I also pray
that we will be given good men and women to rule over us in all government
offices of the land. Lord, may they take advice from godly counsel and heed the
Words of the Bible so that we all may lead quiet and peaceable lives. I ask this
in the name of Jesus, my Lord. Amen.
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