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 17:4-5(KJV):
4 A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue.
5 Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.

Proverbs 17:4-5(Amp):
4 An evildoer gives heed to wicked lips, and a liar listens to a mischievous tongue.
5 Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker, and he who is glad at calamity shall not be held innocent or go unpunished.

Thoughts for the Day:

These verses in Proverbs cautions us not to give heed to a liar, nor should we mock the poor.  These two things will cause God to be displeased with us, and we shall come under punishment if we do these things.  Verse 4 actually talks about something that God says  is an abomination to Him -- that is a lying tongue.

Proverbs 6:16-19:
16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

Listening to someone who lies is just as bad as telling lies. How do we know that what we are hearing is a lie?  Certainly, at times, we may be exposed to someone who is telling a lie and we just do not know it.  However, most of the time you can tell by the person's attitude.  They usually are haughty and critical of others with a demeaning attitude.  They also have a habit of spreading gossip and trying to get people to side with them against others.  They are not content to just be mischievous themselves, they try to enlist others to partake in their evil deeds. The Bible tells us we should flee this sort of person.

2 Timothy 2:22-25:
22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.
24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.

In Proverbs 17:5 we are also advised not to mock the poor, nor should we rejoice at another's calamity.  The heart of God toward the poor is to reach out and try to help them, not despise or mock them. As God's children we are commanded to do likewise. When we give and help the poor with material assistance, it opens the door so that we might present the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to them. The Lord is interested in every soul. Therefore, through reaching out to others, we are able to lead them to salvation. 

The way to help the poor is to present the gospel to them so that their hearts might be changed. When hearts are changed, problems are resolved permanently, instead of a temporary solution applied to the problem. We can feed the poor, but they will always remain poor, unless they change their ways. When they are "born again," God will lead them out of their bondage and poverty.

Wicked men not only mock the poor, but in many cases they exploit the poor and take advantage of them.  This is very evil in the sight of God, as He sees poor people being destroyed because of injustice.

As Christians, we have been commissioned not only to preach the gospel to the poor, but we must teach the poor the laws that govern the affairs of their lives also.  The Bible says that people are destroyed because of lack of knowledge.

Hosea 4:6a: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..."

Only the knowledge of God's Words and the application of them to our lives will overcome our problems. The poor need this knowledge. The Bible not only is filled with the spiritual principles of life, but the Word of God is full of wisdom in the area of physical laws also.  Some of the subjects that are covered in the Bible are nutritional laws, sanitation laws, land conservation laws, animal husbandry, ecology, social etiquette, government administration, and family structure. This is just a partial list as the Bible has much to say on many subjects. When we seek God's answers to any problem, we can find something that the Bible has to say about it. 

In our scripture verses today, verse 5 tells us that we should never be glad when a calamity occurs, even if it is the destruction of someone who is wicked.  Certainly, we can be glad when justice is done in situations.  However if we have God's heart in situations where the wicked are destroyed, we will be saddened that they did not repent.

Ezekiel 33:11: "Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?"

Prayer for the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your love toward me.  Lord, I ask You to place in me the same kind of love you have for the lost and the poor.  I pray for the lost and ask You to work in the hearts of those who are seeking for You, yet are looking in the wrong places.  Father, I need a tender and understanding heart toward the poor. May I be sensitive to Your leading so that I know where I should give, so that the poor are helped in the right way. Lord, thank You for blessing me so that I can bless others.  I ask this in the precious name of Jesus.  Amen.