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 29:3-4 (KJV):
3 Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father: but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance.
4 The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it.

Proverbs 29:3-4 (AMP):
3 Whoever loves skillful and godly Wisdom rejoices his father, but he who associates with harlots wastes his substance. 
4 The king by justice establishes the land, but he who exacts gifts and tribute overthrows it.

Thoughts for the Day:

These verses from Proverbs tell us that a son who loves godly wisdom will bring joy to his father's heart, while the son who visits harlots will not only grieve his father, but will also waste away his finances.  Also, a ruler will either establish the land by justice and good judgment, or the opposite will happen; he will take bribes and exact unjust tribute, which will eventually overthrow it. This happens because of all of the corruption and greed that he promotes by his lack of morals.

 Verse 3 makes the statement that a young man who spends time with prostitutes will also squander his possessions. The reason for this is that the man totally lacks wisdom and character.  Men who do not have these attributes will never be successful.  A man who uses prostitutes is a selfish and lustful person and these traits will adversely impact the other areas of his life. That is the reason he will not succeed in life. With so much emphasis on sex in this generation, men are tempted not only by harlots, but also by many other sexual sins, like pornography, as well. The Bible tells us to flee from all fornication.

1 Corinthians 6:15-20:
15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

The Bible warns Christians not to get themselves into situations that would entice them to sin.  It tells them to stay away from the wrong crowd. This advice is good for all people, as well. The devil is destroying many marriages because the above advice is not heeded.  Many honorable men have lost their honor when their illicit affairs have been exposed. If they have forgiving mates, they may still have their marriages, but their names are forever blighted.  Some, however, lose not only their families, but their position and finances as well.  They end up sick and broke. Why?  Because if they yield to their immoral appetites in one area, they will then sin in other areas, which then leads them in a downward spiral. Sin begats sin, and sin brings corruption and death to one's life.

Sin is progressive, just as on the positive side, righteousness is progressive.  Each day, we will become more like our Lord by obeying His Words, or each day, we will become more wicked by giving into sin. Let us follow the advice of the Bible so that we may live a good life. God does not want us to end up with a wasted life, that will cause us remorse and grieve our families.

Proverbs 29:4 in our study today goes on to say that good leaders will rule with justice and good judgment, while evil leaders will be more interested in their own personal desires, than the good of the people. Because of this, their decisions can be swayed by bribes from unscrupulous people who want certain favors.  A wicked king or ruler will also cause their subjects to pay tribute (exorbitant taxes) so that they can live a luxurious lifestyle. They are not for lowering taxes, but rather seek to lay heavy burdens on the people, so that their own burdens are light. There were some evil rulers in Jesus' day who did the same thing. Jesus called them a bunch of snakes and warned them they were on their way to hell.

Matthew 23:4 & 33:
4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

Prayer for the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for those good and righteous leaders in the world who are concerned about serving the people in a just manner. Lord, bless and protect these men and women.  Give them Your wisdom in the decisions they make because they will affect many people.  Father, have mercy on our land and deliver the people from the many sexual sins that are destroying our world. Lord, forgive this nation for lust, selfishness, perversion, adultery, fornication, pornography, nakedness, and all the other filthy sexual indulgences that go on daily. Cleanse us from unrighteousness and make us holy. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.