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 28:6-7 (KJV):
6 Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.
7 Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father.

Proverbs 28:6-7 (AMP):
6 Better is the poor man who walks in his integrity than he who willfully goes in double and wrong ways, though he is rich.
7 Whoever keeps the law (of God and man) is a wise son, but he who is a companion of gluttons and the carousing, self-indulgent, and extravagant shames his father.

Thoughts for the Day:

These verses from Proverbs tell us that it is better to have character even though you are poor, than to be perverse in your ways and be rich. Also, a son who is respectful of the laws of God and men, is a wise son, but a son who is riotous will bring shame to his father. When men's values change and they regard money and material things of a greater value than a good name and character, a society will begin to crumble.  When moral values and character are not stressed in our schools, our homes, and our churches, soon the lack of these will affect our children and our society in a negative way. Character traits such as honesty, courage, humility, kindness, politeness and respect for authority, bring order to a home, a classroom or a society. People say we cannot legislate morality. What is really needed is men and women in the legislative offices that are moral. Then they will vote for, and support, righteous causes, instead of passing laws that are evil that hurt our society.  As individuals, we need to pray for, and vote for, legislators and leaders who are moral and live by godly principles.

In my generation, there was support between our homes, schools and our churches.  If a child had a behavior problem at school, the parents would support the school in dealing with it.  If a child misbehaved in Sunday School, the parents disciplined the child for this behavior. If a child was guilty of doing something at home, the parents would notify the school and church, so they could help the parents with the needed correction, should it occur there (such as smoking). They all worked together, so the child could not get away with something that was bad.

Our present establishments are so divided that children can now get by with things without being caught because there is no communication between these entities. Also, because of evil in all of these institutions, some people are used of the devil to undermine authority. Instead of some school personnel working with parents, they believe the lies of some of the rebellious children and the parents are then the targets by the school and the children. And then the opposite is true, there are evil parents who abuse their children and lie about it, and the children suffer.  There are also wicked men in our churches who have sexually abused the children who come there.  Our churches should be a haven from evil, but the devil has now made his way into our churches with sexual abuse, greed, false doctrine and other evils. What does the Bible say about such things?

2 Timothy 3:1-5:
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

The devil is trying to gain the minds of our young people today in an effort to destroy them. Verse 7 in today's study tells us that a son who is riotous and self-indulgent will end up bringing shame to their parents. Some children who do not honor their parents are also so wicked that they curse their own father and mother. It is always a blessing to see Christian young people who are respectful and who do honor their parents. These young people stand out as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.

Proverbs 30:11-14: "There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up. There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men."

From these scriptures we see that the Bible speaks of a generation of youth who will be a curse to their parents. The youth of any nation are simply a reflection of the parents of that nation. When sin is not dealt with in any society, the result of those sins will always produce violence. The generation living in the days of Noah was similar to our day. This is the time the Bible speaks of when Jesus Christ will return to this earth to judge the wicked and the righteous.

Genesis 6:11-13: "The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth."

Luke 17: 26-30: "And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed."

Prayer for the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father, I am grateful for all of the young people in this generation who have taken a stand for righteousness.  Lord, strengthen them to be able to stand strong in their convictions in this perverse and crooked generation. We pray that the leaders in our churches and schools will be righteous and morally good people so that our children and our society will be influenced by the standards of the Bible, so we can all dwell in peace and harmony.  Forgive our national sins, so that we might return to the roots that our nation was established on. God bless America is my prayer. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.