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 28:1 (KJV): The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

Proverbs 28:1 (AMP): The wicked flee when no man pursues them, but the (uncompromisingly) righteous are bold as a lion.

Thoughts for the Day:

This verse from Proverbs tells us that those who are righteous, and who do not compromise, will be as "bold as a lion" in their position, while those who are wicked will back down and flee. The Bible tells us that those who despise the commandments of God and do works of unrighteousness will ultimately reap what they sow and much sorrow will come to them.  God speaks through the scriptures and tells us that terror and fear are things we reap when we sin and disobey Him. When we obey Him, we can walk in faith and courage.

Leviticus 26:15-17& 36:
15 And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant:
16 I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
17 And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you.

36 And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth.

How does God send things upon people? Punishment is simply the penalty for sin or the reaping of the evil that we commit. When this happens, it is called the judgment of God. Although judgment usually has an evil connotation to it (the execution of the penalty for sin), it also has a positive side. Judgment has to do with the sowing and reaping process. This is defined in:

Galatians 6:7-9:
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

From this, we can see that the negative side of judgment is that evil reaps destruction, while on the positive side, good that is sown through Jesus is rewarded. God's judgment on evil is seen by the curse that is on wicked men, while God's judgment for the righteous will manifest in His blessings and rewards on them. This is true for individuals, as well as nations. Yes, judgment comes upon us as we reap what we have sown. God wants to bless us with good things, but our sins prevent God from blessing us.

Jeremiah 5:25: Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.

We are all being judged by the Word of God daily. When we fail to keep God's laws and Christ's commandments, we are judged in that respect.  When we honor God and keep His Word, we are also judged as faithful. There is one way we can avert judgment.  When we repent of our sins and walk in a daily relationship with Jesus, we no longer come under judgment. Jesus took our judgment on the cross to save us from hell, which is the penalty for our sins. We must pray that the church comes to true repentance that will produce a genuine revival in our nation; otherwise we will face more fear and terror, and we will even be fearful when we have nothing to fear.

Psalm 53:4-5a:
4 Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God.
5 There were they in great fear, where no fear was.....

When we serve God and keep His commandments, we will not walk in fear, even when there is fear all around us.  If we are filled with the Holy Spirit, His Spirit in us will cause us to walk in faith, not fear.  We will not run when we hear of evil, but will be as "bold as a lion" and face the evil with God's faith and overcome it in the name of the Lord.  This is the reason innumerable missionaries down through the centuries could go into dangerous countries with the gospel and not fear the evil in those nations, because they had the greater One living in them!

Prayer for the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father, I am grateful that You came to deliver us from fear and terror.  Fear produces torment and You said in Your Word that if we served You, we would be far from terror. Lord, deliver me from those things that produce fear, like fretting and worry, and vain imaginings. Forgive me when I yield to fear and help me to remember Your promises and to have faith in You. You said that You would never forsake me, nor ever leave me.  Help me to remember I am not alone when I face any crisis. May I always remember there is victory over every wicked attack against me.  In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.