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:
9 He that hath a
bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.
10 Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach
shall cease.
Proverbs 22:9-10 (AMP):
9 He who has a bountiful eye
shall be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor.
10 Drive out the scoffer, and contention will go out; yes, strife and abuse will
cease.
Thoughts for the Day:
These verses in Proverbs
tell us that a person who is generous shall be blessed, and that contention must
be dealt with in order to maintain peace. Verse 9 describes a
person who has a bountiful eye, as one who gives of his own bread (or goods) to
the poor. Someone who is bountiful is someone who gives generously and
graciously; they provide for others in a plentiful manner. This kind of person
will always be blessed. Paul, the apostle, in the New Testament,
encouraged people to support the weak and give to the poor. Paul gave to others,
but he also received from others, as he was a minister of God; yet, he said it
was more blessed to give, than to receive.
Acts 20:33-35:
33 I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel.
34 Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my
necessities, and to them that were with me.
35 I have showed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the
weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more
blessed to give than to receive.
We find he also
encouraged people to not only give bountifully, but also to give cheerfully, not
grudgingly, or just out of necessity. He said that, "God loves a cheerful
giver." When we give, we not only help those who are needy, it helps us
also, as grace is given to us from God in the form of our need, because God
repays us for our kindness. Giving is a wonderful cycle because it blesses and
helps everybody. We are sometimes the giver, and sometimes the receiver,
as all of us, at times, will have a need to receive help from others. God did not
make us totally independent from others. We all need each other.
There is also
another truth about giving, and it is that we receive back in the same way we
give. If we give generously, we will reap bountifully. If we give
sparingly, that is the way we will reap also.
2 Corinthians
9:6-12:
6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he
which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not
grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having
all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his
righteousness remaineth for ever.
10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food,
and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)
11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us
thanksgiving to God.
12 For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the
saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God.
Verse 10 in our study deals with another matter, and that is how to deal
with contention. According to this verse, when strife and contention are
in a place, the solution to this problem is to drive them out. There are two
ways to do that. One is to actually drive out, or dismiss, the one who is
the cause of the strife. The other is to take that person aside and deal with
them, and confront them with their behavior, and warn them that if they do not cease
in causing strife, you must take corrective measures with them. When one
person in the workplace, or one child in a home, is the trouble maker, they must
be dealt with. The purpose should be not only to help them, but also to bring
order back to the office or home as well. Of course, such discipline must be done in love, with redemptive purposes in mind. Our
goal is peace in the office and home, not more strife and trouble, so we must
handle these kinds of situations in wisdom and love. We should also do our
spiritual homework and pray against any spirits of strife that would be coming
against us through or those around us, and cast those spirits out in the name
of Jesus! We must remember our real enemy is the devil, not people. If we will
pray for people and resist the devil, he will flee.
James 4:7:
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Prayer for the Day:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Your generosity toward me. Dear Lord, help me to be sensitive to
the needs of the poor and those around me, who need help. Help me to be a
bountiful giver, and not ignore those who do not have the things that I have.
Lord, may I always be generous to Your works and not take things for granted.
Guide me as to where I should give, and how much I should give, so that I
can bless others. Lord, I also ask You to help me avoid any contentious
situations, and never to be one who would instigate them. Also, give me
the grace to deal with problem people in a loving way, when I need to do so.
Father, help me to be generous, loving and kind in all of my affairs. In
Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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