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
26:2 (KJV): As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse
causeless shall not come.
Proverbs
26:2 (AMP): Like the sparrow in her wandering, like the swallow in her flying,
so the causeless curse does not alight.
Thoughts for the Day:
This verse from Proverbs tells us that curses that
come to someone's life are not by accident, there is a reason behind them. What
is a curse? It is an evil happening that comes against someone.
Today, we think of "cursing" as someone using foul language, profanity, or
perhaps, even blasphemous words against God. Our definition usually is
synonymous with "swearing." This is a form of cursing, but it is only a small
portion of what curses mean in the Bible.
Cursing in the Bible is not only
speaking evil of someone, but evil coming upon someone. If a
person is under a curse, according to the Bible, evil has come upon them
in some way. Sickness, tragedy, or bad circumstances are occurring in
their lives.
This verse in Proverbs says
that there is a reason behind every evil that comes against us, just as
there is a reason that birds migrate South in winter, and North in the
summer. It has long been a mystery as to why the swallows return to
certain places each year, like the migration of the swallows to San Juan
Capistrano, California. The incredible flight of the swallows
happens every spring around the 19th of March to the old Spanish Mission
located there. Most scientists cannot explain the migration of birds
other than to say that it is just a fulfillment of some inner biologic
destiny. The Bible tells us that God is the one who created the birds
and has made them like they are. Therefore, this verse tells us that it
is God who set up the spiritual laws of cause and effect and when we
break them, we reap what we sow. Evil and curses come because of
broken spiritual laws. We may, or may not, be aware of why some curse or
evil has come upon us, but there is a reason and as we seek God for the
answer, He will give us the revelation as to not only why, but also, He
has the remedy for it.
In today's
culture, some Christians have curses operating against them. That is
because various occult practices are openly practiced in our societies
in this day. Christians need to be freed from curses spoken against them
before they were saved, or from curses that have come upon them through
involvement in idolatry and witchcraft (Deuteronomy 29:24-28).
Luke 10:19: Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and
scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any
means hurt you.
Curses can work against Christians
if they are in rebellion, out of the will of God, or not walking in
faith and love. However, if we are walking where God wants us to walk, a
hundred curses against us would just bounce off and would do us no harm.
The story of Balaam and Israel gives
us a good example of this principle
(Numbers 22). Although Balaam was not an Israelite,
he was a prophet of God. The kings of Moab and Midian wanted him to
curse the Israelites during the journey from Egypt to Canaan. Elders of
those nations offered him what apparently was a lot of money, and he
tried to do what their king wanted -- but he could not. He tried three
times but was unable to do anything, but bless Israel.
Before we are born again, we walk
under the law of sin and death; but, after we are regenerated, we are
under the law of life in Christ Jesus, who took the curse for us.
Romans 8:2: For the law of the
Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and
death.
Galatians 3:13:14:
13 Christ hath redeemed us
from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written,
Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus
Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
How wonderful is our
inheritance as Christians! We do not get the evil that should be ours.
We all deserve hell, but when we come to Jesus, we get Heaven. We are
not under the curse of sickness and death any longer. We now have power
over sin through Jesus. The way to break a curse is to repent for
whatever involvement has occurred on the enemy's territory and rebuke
the devil out of your life.
Prayer for the Day:
Dear Heavenly Father,
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