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 28:4-5 (KJV):
4 They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend
with them.
5 Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all
things.
Proverbs 28:4-5 (AMP):
Thoughts for the Day:
These verses
from Proverbs tell us that those who are rebels
themselves, will praise those who are wicked, while the law keepers will contend
with them. Justice and judgment are not understood by evil men; however, those
that seek the Lord will be given understanding of all things. 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. Judgment on the wicked comes because of sin.
The Bible reveals that all
the troubles in the world are due to either my sin or someone else's. All of
mankind is sinful, thus separated from the holiness of God.
Romans 3:23:
For all have sinned and come short of
the glory of God.
Romans 6:23:
For the wages of sin is death; but
the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
What
exactly is sin? The Bible says that sin is a heart condition. It
is a condition of rebellion against God, which stems from pride. The
Bible even refers to pride as "original sin." The Hebrew definition of
the word sin means "to miss the mark." God created us to be like Him,
but our pride and rebellion make us fall far short of that purpose. Our
actions, though they may be "sinfu,l" are really only the fruit of
our rebellion against God. Our outward actions merely mirror our true
inner condition. God looks on the heart.
We cannot deal with our sin by "cleaning ourselves up" on the outside,
when our problem is a heart condition. Since sin is the root cause of
all our troubles, we must deal with our sin. How do we get rid of sin?
We all need a new life. We need to be cleansed from sin and its penalty
(which is death) and restored to fellowship with God, who made us all.
That is what Jesus Christ (God's Son) meant when He said we
"must be born again" (John 3:7)."...Except a man be born again,
he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).
Without the experience of the "new birth," we have no hope of enjoying
the glories of heaven nor escaping the terrors of hell. Have you been
born again?
The "new birth" is not a religion, not living up to a creed, not a set
of rituals, nor joining a church or denomination. It is a
transformation. Our old nature is changed and we receive a new one. Old
things pass away and all things become new in Christ. We receive a new
heart, new desires, new ideas, and a new direction because of this new
nature. A birth is the coming into being of a new life which has the
nature of its parents. When you were born the first time, you were made
a partaker of the nature of natural man. When you are born again, you
become a partaker of the divine nature (II Peter 1:4).
God can become your heavenly Father.
The greatest attribute of God is that He is a God of love. He loves you
and me. He loves all sinners and wants to save every one of us from hell
and the terrible results of our sin. His Word tells us, "But
God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). "For He hath made him to be sin for
us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in
him" (II Corinthians 5:21).God hates
sin because of what it produces-- war, sickness, poverty, etc., but God
loves the sinner.
God sent Jesus Christ, His only Son, so that we might have new,
everlasting life. The Bible tells us, "For God so loved the
world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in
Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
By His death, burial and resurrection, Jesus made a way for our
salvation. He broke the power of sin and death, making it possible for
us to have everlasting life. The life of God raised Jesus from the dead
and He was the first-born Son into the kingdom of God. Those who trust
in Him are promised eternal life in heaven, while those who reject Him
will be justly sent to hell. Those who receive Jesus will understand
this, while those who are rebels will not be able to understand it, and
they will praise wicked men for their deeds and resist the righteous.
Prayer for the Day:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for saving me from my sin. I am grateful for what You did on the cross
when You took the penalty for my sin. Lord, I pray for the lost who do not
understand what You did for them. Lord, draw them by Your love and use me and
Your other children to witness to those who do not know You. Reveal Your love
for them, so that they understand they do not have to go to hell, but can receive
Your life and enjoy a future in heaven with You. Give us understanding of Your
ways and grace to live a holy life. I ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.
