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 20:8-9 (KJV):
8 A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.
9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?

Proverbs 20:8-9 (AMP):
8 A king who sits on the throne of judgment winnows out all evil (like chaff) with his eyes.
9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?

Thoughts for the Day:

In today's study verses, the book of Proverbs makes observations all the way from what the king does on his throne, to the heart of an ordinary person. Verse 8 says that one of the things that a king does is to exercise judgment in the land.  A good ruler is continually looking for ways to remove the evil in his domain, so that it is not destroyed. In the Bible, kings ruled over the various territories; while today, both kings and other rulers have authority over nations as well. Our president appoints the different agencies in our government to deal with the evil that exists in our nation in an attempt to rid our society of its wickedness. The goal of preserving order and protecting the inhabitants.

Although this verse is speaking about a natural king, God is also the King over all the earth. He watches the deeds of men and at some point they are judged. When the heart and soul of a nation becomes more wicked than good, then an automatic law in the spirit begins to not only expose evil, but judges evil as well. This is evidenced by destructive things happening in the earth.  This is the law of sowing and reaping going into effect.  God's great love for the world is tested when men become rebellious and wicked.  Although He is very merciful, there is a point were men's sins must be judged or they would destroy all men including the good and with the evil. So, for the sake of preserving the good, the evil must be dealt with.

God does not, and cannot do evil. Therefore, He is not the one that initiates the destruction that comes, but rather He steps back and allows men to reap the consequences of their own sin and evil deeds.  God is there wanting to stop it, if men will repent and call on Him to do so.

Romans 11:22: "Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off."

Jeremiah 2:19: "Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts."

Proverbs 20:9 asks us a question.  "Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?"  Since the fall of Adam and Eve, all men are born with the nature of sin in them.  God knew that there was only one way to bring his creation out of sin and back to Himself.  That is why He sent Jesus, His only begotten son, to come to this earth and lead a sinless life and then to lay down His life for all men.  Jesus, an innocent man, was given as a sacrifice for our sins.  He was crucified, buried and rose from the dead to bring life back to sinful men. When we accept by faith what He did for us, we then become pure by His sacrifice.  There is no man pure in himself, and there is no man that can make himself pure -- it takes Jesus to do this for us.

Romans 3:23:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Prayer for the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending Your Son, Jesus, to die for our sins so that we might have eternal life.  I am grateful to be Your child.  I thank You for purifying me from the things that are not like You.  Lord, I cannot cleanse myself, but I know when I ask You to remove the things in my life that are wicked, You will come and do it.  Keep me this day from temptation and fill me with Your love and help me to become more and more like You.  I asked this in the name of Your precious Son, Jesus.  Amen.