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 29:12-14 (KJV):
12 If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked.
13 The poor and the deceitful man meet together: the LORD lighteneth both their eyes.
14 The king that faithfully judgeth the poor, his throne shall be established for ever.

Proverbs 29:12-14 (AMP):
12 If a ruler listens to falsehood, all his officials will become wicked.
13 The poor man and the oppressor meet together -- the Lord gives light to the eyes of both.
14 The king who faithfully judges the poor, his throne shall be established continuously.

Thoughts for the Day:

These verses from Proverbs tell us that a wicked ruler will have wicked officials around him; also, that God gives light to both the poor and the deceitful; and a king that judges faithfully will have a throne that is secure.

Reading verse 12, we know that a ruler who keeps company with those who lie, is also corrupt himself. People who are wicked do not want men of integrity around them, so the officials they choose to serve them will also be wicked. It goes back to the old adage, "birds of a feather, flock together."

Verse 13 tells us that the poor and the deceitful have this in common -- they both receive their light from God.  All of mankind has been bestowed with certain things that come only from God, light is one of those gifts.  The Lord made no distinctions as to which kind of people would be given the gift of his creation.  He made it for all of mankind, even those who do not acknowledge that it came from the hand of God. He is the one who created men with eyes to see light, mountains, valleys, rivers, grass, trees, animals and all of the rest of His creation. He also causes the sun to shine on the good and evil, and sends rain on the just and unjust. He is a God that loves all of His creation and tells us, as His children, to love our enemies and overcome evil with good.

Matthew 5:43-45:
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

God has gifted men with natural gifts so that we all contribute to the world order.  He made each person uniquely  different from every other person.  Just as no snowflake is like another one, we are all created differently.  Every person that God created, He also has a plan for that person's life. Men do not understand that purpose until they turn their lives over to God.  In God's original plan, He created a perfect garden (the Garden of Eden) for Adam and Eve (the first man and woman) to live and work in, and enjoy fellowship with their Creator. Because they disobeyed God, sin entered into this perfect place and they fell from grace.  God then instigated His plan of redemption by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, into the earth to live a sinless life and die on a cross to atone for the sins of all mankind. Through the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, all men and women can now be restored back to God, if they repent and accept what Jesus did for them, and surrender to the will of God.

When an individual does give his life to the Lord, he then will also receive spiritual gifts, as well as the natural gifts that God gives to each one. In the natural, we are given eyes to see the light of the sun; in the spiritual realm, we are given spiritual eyesight to see the things of God.

Looking at Proverbs 29:14, we see that when a good man reigns, he will faithfully judge the poor and make decisions that will help them. By doing this, the people will respect and love him, thus ensuring a continuous reign that is well-established.  We are repeatedly reminded in the book of Proverbs about the blessings that righteousness produces, versus the curses that come when people are wicked.

Prayer for the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You for the many gifts You have given to us, as Your children.  I do appreciate eyes to see Your beautiful creation. I am grateful that You gave us so many things to see and enjoy in this earth.  I also thank You for the gifts You have given to me personally.  I know that You have given me the gift of writing and I am grateful. I am also humbled that You would use me to share the revelations You have given me with Your people. Lord, I dedicate my life and gifts to Your work.  Please use them to bring glory to Your Name. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.