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
26:12 (KJV): Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a
fool than of him.
Proverbs 26:12 (AMP):
Do you see a man wise in his own eyes and conceit? There is more hope for a
(self- confident) fool than for him.
Thoughts for the Day:
This verse
from Proverbs tells us that pride and conceit are more
deadly sins than the sin of a self-confident fool. David, the psalmist, cries
out to be delivered from all of his sins that were even hidden from his personal
knowledge, and he especially asks that he
remain innocent of the "great transgression." What is this "great
transgression"? I believe this sin is the sin of pride.
Psalm 19:12-13:
12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion
over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great
transgression.
This reference of
being "wise in one's own conceit" is the same as a person being prideful. The
Bible definition of "being prideful" means one who, in his own eyes,
is lifted up or exalted. They are arrogant about their own accomplishments. This
boastful attitude is the opposite of the Christian virtue of humility. It is
especially wicked when this pride is directed towards exalting one's self above
God. Lucifer
an archangel in heaven; however, after his fall from
heaven, he was then named Satan.
The name "Satan" comes from a Hebrew word signifying "an
adversary," "an enemy," and "an accuser." In God's Word, we discover that
Satan is God's enemy and is against all for which God stands. He is the
archenemy of good. Surprising as it may seem to some, Satan was not
always evil. In the beginning, he was an angel created in perfection and
beauty. Angels were given a will with a free moral choice, and Lucifer
(Satan's name before he was cast out of heaven) chose to do evil and
rebelled against God. He was cast out of heaven to the earth because of
his sin. His present domain is limited to the earth and hell.
Isaiah 14:12-15:
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how
art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will
exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount
of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the
most High.
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Satan's sins were pride and covetousness. He desired
God's throne and set his will against God's will. Five times he said,
"I will" in this portion of Scripture. This is still man's sin today
-- the refusal to do God's
will, with the same attitude of "I will." Satan chose to rebel and it
brought him down to hell. Men are making the same choice today and those
who rebel will ultimately go down to the pit with the devil.
Lucifer had been gifted with beauty and had walked
upon the holy mountain of God. But even with all this, he was not
content with his position, and by trying to usurp God's authority, sin
entered into him when he attempted to overthrow God's kingdom. We find
this account recorded in Ezekiel 28:12-19.
From these verses, we see that God did not create
Lucifer evil, but made him perfect. By Satan's own choice, he became
evil and was cast out of heaven. The Lord never meant for evil to exist. It was simply
the opposite of good, and since it takes a free will for evil to come
into existence, Lucifer was the first created being to exercise his will
against God. Since that time, others have followed. Satan caused a third
of heaven to fall with him by influencing other angelic beings to make
war against God (Revelation 12:4a). They too were cast out of heaven.
They have since become evil spirits due to their own choice. They now roam
the earth, with Satan as their leader and master. These invisible
supernatural beings still have power, but it is directed toward evil
works of darkness. Satan is still ruling in the earth today, not only
over the evil spirits, but also over evil men who choose the same path
of rebellion against God. He is the dark prince of this world. We can
see a glimpse of his evil wisdom, strength, glitter, and his inevitable
end by reading the passage in Ezekiel. We must remember that he
has only limited power, but nevertheless he does have power, and those
who do not recognize him and his devices inevitably become his victims.
Those who are "born again" and filled with the Spirit
of God have no need to fear this evil foe as he has been defeated by our
God. Jesus defeated him and stripped him of his power two thousand years
ago. Jesus paid the price for our sins on the cross and then rose from
the dead, bringing life to all who would follow Him. Satan's authority
has been taken away from him. We now have authority over him through
Jesus Christ. These are Christ's words in Revelation:
Revelation 1:18: I am he that liveth, and was dead;
and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell
and of death.
Prayer for the Day:
Dear Heavenly Father,
We want to pray as David did, for deliverance from the great transgression of
pride. Lord, show us any sin in our lives that we are blinded to seeing, so that
we may repent. Set us free from those things that would keep us from becoming
like You. Lord, I desire to have an humble heart before You and before others.
Help me not to be condescending to others, but to prefer others and esteem them.
May we all give honor to whom honor is due, and especially may we not only
honor You, but also bring honor to You. I ask this in the name
of Jesus. Amen.
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