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 5:1-13(KJV): "My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:
2 That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.
3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:
4 But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.
6 Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.
7 Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.
8 Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:
9 Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel:
10 Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger;
11 And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,
12 And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;
13 And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!"

Thoughts for the Day:

There is much wisdom in this passage from the book of Proverbs; especially for the age that we live, when there is so much emphasis on sex, which has led to so many acts of adultery and fornication. One of the miracles of the Bible is that it speaks to all generations and all people. Generations come and go, cultures are different, but the issues of mankind are the same; men throughout the ages have all faced the same problems. Sin in the heart of man has been our downfall from the time Adam and Eve committed the first sin. When I speak of men, I am referring to women as well -- all of mankind.  Even though the above verses are addressed to a son by his father, the same warning is applicable to daughters who would look for a good time with lustful men.

Our news is filled with men who have experienced the progression of events that the above verses outline. Temptation lures people by the pleasure that it offers. However, just as verse 3 says, though the temptress has sweet kisses, there will be a bitter end to those moments of pleasure. Moses gave up the pleasures he could have had as the Prince of Egypt and chose rather to suffer with the people of God. He could do this because he had eternal vision and knew God would reward him later.

Hebrews 11:24-26: "By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; 25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward."

The Bible tells us to flee from fornication. It warns young people 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 for older people as well. The devil is destroying many marriages because the above advise is not heeded.  Many honorable men have lost their honor, and are in the news today, as 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 our godly teachers so that we may live a good life. God does not want us to end up with a wasted life, that we shall surely mourn about. We have a choice. The Bible asks us this question:

Deuteronomy 30:19: "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live."

Prayer for the Day:

Dear Father, Thank you for your instructions in the Bible.  Give me the grace and humility to accept advice and correction, because I know when you instruct me, it is for my good.  Lord, I pray for all the families in our nation that have gone through divorce.  Lord, this has wounded our nation, because many of our children do not have their fathers; some do not have their mothers.   Second marriages still carry wounds from the previous ones; Lord heal these marriages and homes.  Forgive the adultery and fornication that has led to many of these marriage breakdowns.   Forgive our young people who are living together, as many of them do not even know it is wrong, because society has embraced this as acceptable behavior. Restore love in our families.  Heal our homes and our land.   In Jesus name I pray. Amen.