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:
11 When the
scorner is punished, the simple is made wise: and when the wise is instructed,
he receiveth knowledge.
12 The righteous man wisely considereth the house of the wicked: but God
overthroweth the wicked for their wickedness.
Proverbs 21:11-12 (AMP):
11 When the scoffer is punished, the fool gets a lesson in being wise; but
men of wisdom and good sense learn by being instructed.
12 The (uncompromisingly)
righteous man considers well the house of the wicked, how the wicked are cast
down to ruin.
These verses in
Proverbs show us that there are two ways to gain instruction in living. One
is to learn by instruction and observation and the other is to learn by the
experience of sowing and reaping. In verse 11 we are shown how the
scorner learns a lesson when he does something foolish, because he will suffer
punishment for his wrong doings. However, the wise person does not have to
learn things the hard way because he will take advice and listen to instruction;
therefore, he will not suffer any ill-effects because he will not do the things
that cause them. This is the law of "cause and effect" or the Bible calls it the
law of "sowing and reaping."
Many times God is
blamed for things that He did not do. God set the limits and boundaries for
mankind, and when we violate them, we cause problems for ourselves. God did not
bring these on us. They come on us because we violate the law or the rules
that God set. The only way we can blame God for these is to blame Him for
creating us and giving us His rules. However, we should not be mad at God
for doing this, as being one of His children is a great privilege, not something
that is bad. We can avoid much of the pain we suffer in this world by obeying
God's rules.
We can learn by two different means. We can learn by hearing and
obeying, or we can learn by trial and error. If we hear and obey, we
need not go through bad experiences to discover the truth. Some people
declare they learned a lot through their tragedies. The same lessons,
however, could have been learned by studying the Word of God, and then
obeying it. For example, I do not have to learn the truth of the
following Proverb through actual transgression, "...the way of
transgressors is hard" (Proverb 13:15). I can simply believe that it
is the truth, and commit no transgression. If I choose to disbelieve
this verse and sin, I will find out the "hard way" that the way of the
transgressor is hard. The Lord would have us believe His Word and obey
it.
According to verse 12, another way we can avoid reaping evil
consequences is by taking notice as to what happens to the wicked and
thereby avoiding doing the things that they do. When we look at the fate
of the wicked it should be a visual lesson for us not to engage in the
kind of activities that brought them down. The wicked are destroyed by
reaping what they have sown.
Psalm 9:16a: The LORD is known by the
judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.
The Lord instructs us to follow Him in
submissive obedience and not be like a horse or mule that has to have a bit and
bridle in its mouth to guide it. We are promised mercy and blessing
when we follow God, while the wicked will suffer many sorrows.
Psalm 32:8-10:
8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will
guide thee with mine eye.
9 Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose
mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.
10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy
shall compass him about.
Dear
Heavenly Father, I praise You and thank You that You do hear and answer my
prayers. Lord, help me stay on the straight and narrow path so that I do
not go down the wrong roads and have to learn the hard way. Lord, I know
that when I diligently seek You, that You will answer me and save me from many
pitfalls. Help me to avoid the things that will cause me pain and trouble
in the future. I want to hear Your voice so that I can make wise decisions
and avert many of the traps and tribulations that the enemy wants to use to destroy
me. Keep me from evil, and help me to trust You. Please give me the
strength to obey You in all things. I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
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