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 6:30-35(KJV):  "Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
31 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
33 A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
34 For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35 He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts."

Thoughts for the Day:

These verses in Proverbs contrast how men in general react to a thief and an adulterer when they are caught. Verse 30 begins by explaining when a thief steals because he is hungry, people tend not to judge them as harshly, as when they steal for other reasons. The thief will be judged, however, as no one likes his goods stolen. Verse 31 describes what the punishment for thievery should be. The thief should restore sevenfold what he stole, even if it means selling his own household goods or house to make it right. Restoration is God's plan for making up for the loss of what the thief took.

Verse 32 goes on to say although thievery is bad in the eyes of men, adultery is worse because it will destroy his own soul.  Verse 33 says that when the adulterer is caught, he will not only be wounded in the process, but he will also be dishonored in the public eye.   With this dishonor, comes reproach that will not be wiped out. This simply means people will never forget about the act of adultery and it will always be a part of a man's record in this life. We have witnessed this in our nation not only in the public arena with a president and other congressional leaders guilty of adultery, but many of our religious leaders have been caught in this act of unfaithfulness too.  Their reproach has not been wiped away and is still with them today and it will be written down in the history books. If they repent, the Lord will forgive them, but the public in general is not that forgiving. Many people will never forget.

Some men, when they find out that some other man has had an affair with their wife, allow their rage and jealousy to make even  worse attacks against the adulterer. Verses 34 and 35 say, that even when they are offered gifts or a settlement, it will not compensate for the damage that is done.   Some angry husbands will not rest, nor be content with an apology, but are bent on destroying the guilty one. Many cases of murder have happened because of the sin of adultery.  The Bible is very clear that if a young man wants an honorable life, he must resist this deadly sin of pursuing an affair with a married woman.

Prayer for the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you in Jesus' name and I ask that you forgive us as a nation for committing this terrible sin of adultery.  Lord, we are paying a dear price in our land for disobeying Your instructions in regard to the sanctity of marriage.  Lord, forgive us for the affairs, the lying, the cheating and the running around. All of these things have led to divorce and broken homes.  Our children are suffering for lack of both of their parents to guide them.  Lord, deliver us from lust and selfishness in this nation. Please have mercy on us and restore our families and keep our homes together.  Let us live for You, and not for ourselves and our own selfish desires. I pray for all the marriages that are under attack right now, and ask that You come in and heal these strained relationships. Amen.