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 20:6-7 (KJV):
6 Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?
7 The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.

Proverbs 20:6-7 (AMP):
6 Many a man proclaims his own loving-kindness and goodness, but a faithful man who can find?
7 The righteous man walks in his integrity; blessed -- happy, fortunate (enviable)  -- are his children after him.

Thoughts for the Day:

The book of Proverbs is filled with observations of how men act without God and also how they act when they allow God to rule their lives.  Verse 6 tells us that most men will acclaim their own good deeds before others.  Men want others to like them so they generally present themselves to others in the best light.   We compose resumes and list our accomplishments with no mention of our failures.  (Not that this completely wrong because a resume is supposed to be an account of our past work history.)

None of us like to mention our failures. However, when we come to God the first thing we must do to find salvation is to confess our failures and sins to God so that He can help us to overcome them. We must humble ourselves and in doing so it allows the Holy Spirit to come and lift us up from the ruin we find ourselves in.

James 4:8-10:
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

The Bible tells us that when we confess our sins and repent for hurting God and others, He will then forgive us and lift us up from our depression and sorrow and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

We can never become faithful until we first come to the One who is faith.  We must have faith in the Lord Jesus to really be good and do good deeds.  When we come to him we will not want to broadcast our good deeds, but rather make known the One who enables us to do them.  It is through the power of God that we are able to do good.  Even Jesus, himself said there was no good thing in Him, but His goodness came from the Father who sent Him.

Matthew 19:16-17:
16  And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

If we are to walk in righteousness, we must walk in the spirit and allow God to live His life in us. He will enable us to keep His commandments. We then can do the things He did and be, not only an example to our children, but  we will also leave a spiritual inheritance for them. The greatest thing we can do for our children is to bring them into the knowledge of God.  We are to allow our lives to be a testimony of the Words of God before the world.  We may be the only Bible they will read.  Our words of faith and our good deeds should inspire others to want to know our God.

Matthew 5:14-16:
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Prayer for the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father, Help me to be the kind of witness I should be to the world. May others see Christ in me and the deeds I do.  Forgive me when I get in the flesh and do things that I should not do.  Help me to overcome my flesh and truly bring glory to You by the way I live.  Fill me with the Spirit so that I can express Your love to all I come in contact with.  Help me to be faithful and obedient to Your Words.  Thank you for Your mercy and grace .  I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.