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 16:31(KJV):
31 The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.

Proverbs 16:31(Amp):
31 The hoary (gray) head is a crown of beauty and glory, if it is found in the way of righteousness -- of spiritual and moral rectitude in every area and relation.

Thoughts for the Day:

The theme of the book Proverbs is wisdom.  This verse focuses on the wisdom of old age.  When a man reaches his senior years and he is a righteous man of God, then he has a crown of wisdom and experience that younger men do not possess.  As men age, they become more experienced in many things.  This experience can lead to wisdom, if they observe from the successes and failures of those around them (as well as their own) and learn from it.  Proverbs records another scripture that says the same thing.

Proverbs 20:29 (Amp): "The glory of young men is their strength, and the beauty of old men is the gray head (suggesting wisdom and experience)."

Many older men and women may have a lot of experience; however, not all of them have godly wisdom.  Unless an elder is committed to God, he will fail to have the wisdom that reflects a crown of beauty and glory. Older men and women who have Christ and walk in His righteousness, do not have to face the sunset of their lives with dread, as the Word of God gives them great promises. One of those promises is that their lives shall be fruitful. It is not God's will that they should waste away in their later years.

Psalm 92:12-14:
12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.

Another wonderful promise for older people who might be faint and have no strength, is found in the book of Isaiah.

Isaiah 40:29-31:
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

This promise tells us that if we wait upon the Lord and seek Him, He will renew our strength and we shall run and not be weary and we shall walk and not faint.   Even the youth who do not know God will be weary and faint, and the young men without God shall fall. What a wonderful promise that we can run and not be weary and walk and not faint when we follow the Lord's leading in all we do. We can look at the life of Moses and see how God blessed his later years with good health and vitality.

Deuteronomy 34:7: "And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated."

As God's children, our later years should really be "golden years."  We should be healthy and strong and able to do the will of God until we have completed our course on earth.  When our job or assignment is complete, then and only then, is it time for us to leave this earth and go to heaven. There are many promises in the Word of God that promise us long life.  The devil is the one who tries to cut men's lives and ministries short.  We must contend by faith, for God's promise of long life. It is God's will that we live long and productive lives, and that we leave a godly inheritance for those that follow us.

Psalm 91:15-16: "He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation."

Proverbs 4:10-11: "Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths."

Psalm 90:12: "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."

By following God's ways and heeding His wisdom, we are promised long life. Old age is a curse to many that do not know the Lord, but for the men and women of God who have served the Lord faithfully, wonderful blessings await them in their sunset years.

Prayer for the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for the many wonderful promises for all of Your children. I do thank You for the promise of long life, not only for me, but for all of my family members.  I claim Psalm 91 over our lives.  Thank You for watching over us all the time.  Lord, now that I am older and have had many experiences, help me to be gracious in sharing the things that I have learned over the years. Help me to also keep my mouth shut when I should and allow  others to learn from you. Thank You for helping me to grow old graciously.  Lord, bless all of Your older saints who are still serving You around the world.  Strengthen and protect them. I ask this in the name of Jesus.  Amen.