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 17:16-18(KJV):
16 Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it?
17 A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
18 A man void of understanding striketh hands, and becometh surety in the presence of his friend.

Proverbs 17:16-18(Amp):
16 Of what use is money in the hand of a (self-confident) fool to buy skillful and godly wisdom, when he has no understanding or heart for it?
17 A friend loves at all times, and is born, as is a brother, for adversity.
18 A man void of good sense gives a pledge and becomes security for another in the presence of his neighbor.

Thoughts for the Day:

This set of verses in Proverbs tells us that money cannot buy wisdom, tells us what a true friend is, and tells us to avoid being surety for another. First, in verse 16 even if a fool has money, he cannot purchase wisdom because true wisdom comes only to those who have a heart for it. To obtain the wisdom of God, we must have an humble attitude and desire to obey God.  Just having a knowledge of wisdom is not enough, one must obey the commandments of God, if he is to walk in wisdom. Obedience to God is only possible if we make a total commitment to Him. It takes the power of the Holy Spirit to be able to obey the Word of God and walk according to its dictates.

Verse 17 gives us a description of a true friend. A true friend continues to love us even when we fail, and do not deserve it. A true friend loves us at all times.  Even when adversity strikes us, they will remain loyal. Jesus is that kind of friend. He is always there for us even when we fail Him. The Bible says He is like an elder brother to us. A true friend is like a brother.  A brother is still your brother even when you are in trouble. Sometimes a natural brother may fail us because his flesh is weak; however, Jesus is our friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 18:24: "A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."

Verse 18 tells us not to be surety for another's debt in the presence of a witness who is our friend or neighbor, as this is not a wise thing to do. This financial advice is given so that we can avoid having problems in the area of relationships. We are advised 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.

This kind of thing will not only hurt the relationship with the one who cannot pay the note off; it can also hurt the relationship with the friend or the neighbor who was a witness to the pledge. If problems arise when the borrower is unable to pay his note, it forces the witness to side with one party or the other, thus endangering their friendship also. If we desire to be wise in our dealings with others this advice in Proverbs should be followed.

Prayer for the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for the many gifts You have given me. I do appreciate the gift of wisdom and discernment. I am grateful that You have spared me from many a heartache. Thank You also for the sound advice in the Word of God. Give me the grace and strength to always obey Your Word, as I know You know what is best for me.  Bless my family and friends today and keep them from the wicked one. Thank You for Your provision for this day.  Help me not to stress about tomorrow.  I trust that You have all things under Your control and I believe You will take care of me and my problems. Give this same faith to others who are needing to hear from You. I ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.