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 28:21-22 (KJV):
21 To have respect of persons is not good: for for a piece of bread that man will transgress.
22 He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.

Proverbs 28:21-22 (AMP):
21 To have respect of persons and to show partiality is not good, neither is it good that man should transgress for a piece of bread.
22 He who has an evil and covetous eye hastens to be rich and knows not that want will come upon him.

Thoughts for the Day:

These verses from Proverbs tell us that showing favoritism or being prejudiced is not good; neither is selling out for food, and the man who has an evil, covetous eye will reap poverty. Our Heavenly Father wants us to be like Him, and He is always fair and just. He does not show favoritism or partiality. When you read the Bible, you will notice that some men and women were definitely favored by God, but why were they favored?  The only advantage one Christian has over another one is determined by how much of God's Word they apply to their lives, because the Lord does favor one thing, and that is, His Word. God does not love one person more than another.  He loves us all equally.  However, if one of us is favored above another, it is because that one is walking in the Word of God.  God always blesses His Word, keeps His Word, and favors those that obey His Word. God is no respecter of men, but He is a respecter of His Word.

Acts 10:34-36:
34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
36 The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all).

If we are to be like our Lord, we must not give preferential treatment to people because of their social status, their position of authority, their race, their age, or their sex.  We must respect all equally and extend equality to all, as the Lord does. Because God is no respecter of persons, what He will do for one, He will do for another, according to their response of faith in His Word. 

James 2:1-9:
1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

We are not to give the rich special attention because of their money and appearance, while rejecting the poor man because of his lack. We are to love all men, as we love ourselves. The Bible calls this the "Royal Law."  There is also another scripture in Luke, very similar to this one, and it is called  the "Golden Rule." We are to do unto others, as we would have them do unto us.

Luke 6:31: And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

We are all children of God and in God's sight, we are all heirs to the promises in His Word. In the Spirit, there are no races, no social levels, and no sexual distinctions; we are all one in Christ. Of course, there are differences in our roles in this life, as we all have different assignments from God.  However, the Lord wants us to understand the spiritual truth that no person is more important than another person.  Yes, there are more important positions in this earth, as positions of authority affect and influence many lives; however, the people in those positions are not more important than the poorest of men. God highly values the lives of all men and women. That is why abortion and euthanasia are crimes of murder in His sight.

Galatians 3:26-29:
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

In our study verses today from Proverbs, we are told that a man who is a respecter of persons will also sell out in other areas of his life.  In fact, he would even sell out for a piece of bread because he has no character.   Evil men who have their eye on other men's property and are driven by the motivation of getting rich are covetous and will eventually end up in poverty. They may suffer more than financial poverty; as a man who has no peace, cannot sleep at night, is hated by others, and is constantly in a state of stress, is a poor man indeed.

Prayer for the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father, I am grateful that You are a fair and just God and that You love all of us equally. I am amazed at Your love for each of us as individuals. You are wonderful!  Lord, may we be like You, and treat all people with the same love and respect. Lord, deliver Your people from any prejudicial attitudes and actions. May we lift one another up and be kind to one another, as You are kind to us. Grace us so that we can do unto others as we would have them do unto us. I ask this in the name of Jesus.  Amen.