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 10:1:(KJV): "The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother."

Thoughts for the Day:

This verse in the book of Proverbs compares a wise son with a foolish son and how their actions affect the parents. Solomon was recorded as the wisest man in the Old Testament and in his wisdom, he recorded these proverbs and wise sayings for all posterity. When a son acts wisely, he will cause his father to be glad and of course, his mother will also be happy.  On the other hand, the foolish and self-confident son brings grief to his mother and father.  The wise son would be one who follows the Lord, while the foolish one would exemplify a rebel who refuses to respect and obey his parents.

Today in our world, there has been a major breakdown between the generations. This has also happened in generations past. When one generation fails to follow God, the next generation begins a moral downslide. The sins that one generation tolerates, the next one will practice to the extreme. They soon forget the God of their fathers and a breach comes between the young and the old, the sons and the fathers. In fact, the Bible says there will be a generation just before the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ that will come under a terrible curse unless God intervenes with His spirit and power and heals this breach between generations. We live in such a time as this, as we are fast approaching the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Malachi 4:5-6: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."

Luke 1:17: "And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

Today Satan is trying to destroy our families through the sins of the fathers, as well as the sins of the sons. The only way this can be mended is for both the fathers and the sons to turn back to God. The reference to "fathers and sons" encompasses "mothers and daughters" as well.   I believe it would also include the "church fathers" and their "spiritual sons," as well, since there has been much division in the church. The Lord desires both families and churches to walk in His love and unity. The curse of strife and division can be mended if we seek the Lord, and walk in His love and forgiveness.

Notice in the scriptures above that the healing must begin with the fathers first.  Because fathers are more mature, they must reach out to the rebellious sons with love, prayer and forgiveness. When we seek the Lord in prayer, He will show us the way to mend broken relationships.  We must be patient, as fathers and mothers, and have faith that the Lord will reach out to our natural children, as well as our spiritual children, and bring them back to Him, and to us.  Here are two scriptures that God promises us for our children's deliverance and blessing:

Proverbs 11:21: "Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered."

Psalm 37:25-26: "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed."

Prayer for the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father,  Thank you for Your love and watch care over us. Lord, today I pray for all the families and churches that have suffered with division and broken relationships.  Lord, forgive the selfishness of those who are in rebellion and have refused to maintain fellowship.  Give all of those who have been wounded by rebellious children, the grace to forgive, and to continue to pray, to love and to reach out.  Lord, also heal those who are hurting because of church splits.  Lord, bring reconciliation and deliverance.  Deliver those who have been deceived and taken captive by the enemy's lies.  May Your love and truth prevail in our relationships.  Lord, show those contemplating divorce that You can bring healing and restoration to their marriages. Thank you for the needed miracles that will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.