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:
26 Be not thou one
of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts.
27 If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?
Proverbs 22:26-27 (AMP):
26 Be not one of those who
strike hands and pledge themselves, or of those who become security for
another's debts.
27 If you have nothing with which to pay, why should he take your bed from
under you?
Thoughts for the Day:
These verses in Proverbs
give us advice in the area of pledging security (surety) for another's debts.
Since Proverbs
is known as the book of wisdom for practical living,
we find some advice in these verses in the area of finances. We are advised here
not to become security for another. In our culture today, this would be advice
not to co-sign a bank loan for another person. It would also mean not to
guarantee someone else's loan. Many friendships have been destroyed because this
advice was not taken. Although the borrower may have the best of intentions,
sometimes they are unable to pay their note off, and then the lender must take
care of it and this could ultimately put him in a position of jeopardizing his
own financial position.
Verse 26
speaks of making a pledge and striking hands. Today we shake hands on an
agreement and sign papers that pledge we will carry out the words on the
contracts that we have signed.
Years ago in our country, many people never even signed contracts, they just
shook hands on an agreement and because both men were honest and honorable, they
carried out that agreement. If they gave their word, they kept it.
Psalm 15:4b: ".... but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that
sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not."
Do these verses imply that
we are never to help people if they ask us for help? Certainly not!
However, most loan requests are not emergency help loans, but are loans
to help people live in a lifestyle greater than they can afford. These
kinds of loans will inevitably become difficult to keep the payments up,
and the one who has become security will be held accountable for the
indebtedness. It is not kind to co-sign a note that will, in the end,
not really be helpful to people who have not learned financial Biblical
principals. Many people who go into debt for expenditures beyond their
means will, in time, leave the one who helped responsible for their
debt.
Verse 27 warns us
that if we have become surety for another and they fail to pay, it could
create grave circumstances for us, if we were not in a position to
assume the requirements of the note. If fact, it could be that it
might even lead to a foreclosure, causing us to lose our furniture and
home, thus our bed would be literally taken from under us.
Prayer for the Day:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the wisdom in the book of Proverbs. Help us to apply it in every
area of our lives. Help us to be wise in our spending and in our financial
affairs. Lord, help us to keep our word in the greater matters of life, as well
as in the small things. Lord, when I tell someone I will do something, help me
to follow through. Remind me, should I forget. May people say about me, that I
am a person who keeps their word. Help us all, as Your people, to be honest and
operate with integrity in all of our financial affairs. Teach us Your financial
principles, and help us resist going the way of the world that leads to more and
more debt. Teach us Your wisdom in our financial affairs. I ask in the
name of Jesus. Amen.
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