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 25:18 (KJV):  A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.

Proverbs 25:18 (AMP): A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a heavy sledgehammer and a sword and a sharp arrow.

Thoughts for the Day:

This verse from Proverbs describes how a person who is a false witness affects another -- it is like a sharp and heavy blow against them. God commanded us not to bear false witness against anyone, and it is the ninth commandment in the list of the Ten Commandments in the Old Testament.

Exodus 20:16: Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

The definition of a "false witness" is someone who lies about his neighbor or anyone else. Bearing false witness is telling a lie or witnessing with a false report. But this commandment has a deeper meaning than just lying. The Bible makes some very strong statements about how we speak and how we "witness" with our mouths - both positive and negative. Now, bearing false witness would include gossiping, slander, lying, deceitfulness and cheating. When we gossip about anybody, we are lying about them and bearing false witness about them. This is a very serious thing before God. According to this verse in Proverbs, it is like beating someone with a heavy sledgehammer or hitting them with a sword or an arrow.

We may not think gossiping is a very serious offense, but with God, it is a very serious because it is distorting the truth against our neighbor or someone else, and God will not hold us guiltless for this. I remember years and years ago when I made a commitment to God and totally surrendered to Him, the very first thing the Lord dealt with me about was the sin of gossiping. The Lord revealed to me that my mouth was causing destruction in my own life, as well as the lives of others by my critical words. When the Holy Spirit comes in, it is His responsibility to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and remove those things in us that do not look like Jesus, so God began to deal with my tongue right away. He started convicting me about the things that I was saying that did not agree with the Word of God and the things that were sinful that I was speaking.  There is a lot in Scripture that refers to the tongue. We are to guard our tongue, the fruit we produce out of our mouth will either make us or break us, will either give us victory or destroy us, because there is life and death in the power of the tongue according to the Word of God. 

Proverbs 18:20-21:
20 A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

When we lie or gossip we are using our tongue against our neighbor in the wrong way. God wants us to watch this little member of our body, as it can be very destructive. David cried out to God to come and save him from men who were like lions with teeth that were as spears and arrows, and their tongues were like a sharp sword.

Psalm 57:3-4:
3 He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.
4 My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

There is an old saying that says: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me."  After studying the Bible, I see this old adage is not true. Using unkind names or words against people is harmful. It is harmful to the one who uses them, as well as to the one it is being spoken against.  Words are very powerful. Think about this, lawyers use words to build their cases. Our nation's laws are made up of volumes of words. Our national treaties are words written on documents. Words announce the daily news. Words are tools that are used to communicate with one another. In the beginning God used words to  create the earth by speaking everything into existence. In the New Testament, Jesus Himself, is referred to as the living Word. The Bible is also known as the Word of God. Words are powerful - both good and evil words.

That is why when someone bears false witness against another, it is very painful to them. While on the positive side when we pray, our mouth is forming words in the spirit dimension that go out and they produce good things. And so we have to guard our mouth and watch that we do not let the wrong things come out, because on the negative side our words also produce things in the spirit realm that can be damaging and bring wounds to others.

Prayer for the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You for forgiving me of all the things that I have said that have not agreed with Your Word. Father, please cancel all of the negative words that I have spoken against anyone.  Lord, I truly want to use my tongue in a godly manner by speaking those things that will bless and edify others. Teach me how to pray correctly and may my lips now speak Your Word. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight.  I ask this in the name of Jesus.  Amen.