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 27:3-4 (KJV):
3 A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both.
4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?

Proverbs 27:3-4 (AMP):
3 Stone is heavy and sand weighty, but a fool's (unreasoning) wrath is heavier and more intolerable than both of them.
4 Wrath is cruel and anger is an overwhelming flood, but who is able to stand before jealousy?

Thoughts for the Day:

These verses from Proverbs tell us that jealousy and envy are greater burdens than the heavy weights of the cruelty of wrath and anger. Wrath and anger are many times vented quickly, whereas envy and jealousy are like a pot that heats slowly to the boiling point. This causes the one who is jealous to seethe within, and the envy they feel will gnaw at them over a long period of time. The dictionary definition of "jealousy" means  resentfully suspicious of a rival or a rival's influence or resentfully envious of another.

In Song of Solomon, we read that jealousy is as cruel as death and it causes a burning flame of torment for those who embrace this evil. Some even go into what we term as a "jealous rage."

Song of Solomon 8:6: Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.

Envy and jealousy are so wicked that it also causes sickness in the physical body. Doctors have discovered that many physical ailments are due to problems in the soul and spirit of a man, and when negative attitudes are changed and replaced with positive ones, the patient recovers dramatically.  Those who harbor envy, jealousy, anger and unforgiveness will find their bodies expressing these attitudes as diseases. On the positive side, when we walk in love, faith and forgiveness, our bodies will respond with health and peace of mind. When we yield to anger and jealousy, we drain our bodies of energy that we could use for productive purposes.

Proverbs 14:30:  A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.

Romans 1:28-32:
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Envy is in this list of evils that people embrace when they reject God. These attitudes will ultimately bring the judgment of God upon those who practice them.  However, through the sacrifice of Jesus, we can repent and receive forgiveness for our sins. We can be saved from judgment and hell and receive eternal life.  It is not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to the mercy of God that He has saved us and washed us clean. We can be free from wrath, anger, envy and jealousy and be filled with the love of God through the Holy Spirit.

Titus 3:3-7:
3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Prayer for the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your gift of the Holy Spirit so that we have the power to overcome anger, wrath, envy and  jealousy. Lord, give us the grace not to yield to these things when we are tempted. May we exhibit Your love in situations that the devil designs to be used against us, in order to provoke us to anger.  Help me not to react in an ungodly way in those kinds of circumstances.  May I rejoice in the promotion of others and not yield to a spirit of envy or jealousy. I ask this is the name of Jesus. Amen.