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 25:8-10 (KJV):
8 Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame.
9 Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another:
10 Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thine infamy turn not away.

Proverbs 25:8-10 (AMP):
8 Rush not forth soon to quarrel (before magistrates or elsewhere), lest you know not what to do in the end when your neighbor has put you to shame.
9 Argue your cause with your neighbor himself; discover not and disclose not another's secret,
10 Lest he who hears you revile you and bring shame upon you and your ill repute have no end.

Thoughts for the Day:

These verses from Proverbs warn us not to get into a public quarrel, but rather, try to settle the problem with our neighbor first privately, as he could testify against us and take us to court and they could rule in his favor and we could end up in shame. The Bible counsels us to avoid strife and court, if at all possible, as the Lord wants us to walk in peace with all men. It is much better to take an humble position and try to work out our differences with a neighbor, than to get in strife and end up in court. We are not to go and gossip about the matter, telling secrets to others, as this will only rile the neighbor more and he could cause more trouble. We have no guarantee as to the judge ruling in our favor and we may even be in the wrong to some degree. If we are proven wrong, the Bible tells us to agree with our adversary quickly, as he can deliver us to the judge and the judge can rule that we are to be given over to the officer to lock us in prison and we will not be released until we have paid our penalty in full.

Matthew 5:25-26:
25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

God wants us to maintain a relationship with our brothers and sisters, so he gave us the procedure for dealing with those who sin against us. The first thing we are to do, is to go to that brother and tell him we feel we have been wronged by him. We are to do this alone, without involving others in the disagreement, as sometimes people will take up the offenses of others, instead of listening with an ear to hear which party is violating the Word of God.  There is no room to side with people; as Christians, we are to side with the Word of God. We are to do this with others, as well as our own lives. When my actions do not line up with the Word of God, then I must side against myself and agree with God's Word against my own behavior. I must acknowledge my sin and repent to get set free.  This is also true of a brother.  If he acknowledges his sin against me and repents, then I have gained a brother. This is only likely to happen if I go to him humbly and with love for him.

Matthew 18:15-17:
15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican.

If a brother does not repent of an obvious sin, then we are to take two or three more people with us and talk with the brother again, in an attempt to show him the error of his ways so our fellowship can be restored and the brother won back.  However, if he fails to respond in the presence of witnesses, who are in agreement to his trespasses, then the matter is to be taken before the entire church, still giving him a last opportunity to repent.  Should he fail at this point, he is to be excommunicated from the church without any privileges of the brotherhood. However, we should all avoid strife as much as possible and try to live in peace with all men.

Romans 12:17-18:
17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

Prayer for the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father, We are grateful that we can call on You for the grace we need when others trespass against us. Help us to maintain a loving attitude when we are faced with ill will.  You said, 'Blessed are the peacemakers,' so help me to be one who tries to maintain peace among my acquaintances. Lord, help me to deal with those who are trouble-makers in the proper Biblical manner, so as to see them delivered.  I ask You to help me refrain from anger, resentment, and rejection and to deal with them in love and wisdom.  In Jesus name I pray. Amen.