Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Proverbs 14:6-10
Prov 14:6-10
A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding. Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge. The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving. Fools mock at the guilt offering, but the upright enjoy acceptance. The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy.
Mic 6:8
He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?
Matt 23:23
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
One of the most difficult things for us as humans is to admit to ourselves that we are not in control of all that goes on in our lives and that we do not have all of the answers for the problems that arise. We do not have the wisdom in ourselves to know what is right, so we must lean on someone greater than ourselves. It takes humility to admit that we do not know or that we may be wrong.
Since the time of Jesus on earth (and probably even longer) people have mistaken religion for serving God. They have put the emphasis on the place they worship or on the ceremonies of their worship to make it acceptable. This lends itself to making people (us or others) the object of worship instead of God and Jesus Christ.
We do need to follow God’s way of worship that he has shown to us but the real emphasis of serving God is that we change our hearts to be like God. Our goal should be to have it said of us as was said of King David, that we are people after God’s own heart. We are to be people known for our kindness and mercy. We are to do justice, which means that we do what is right toward everyone around us, no matter what they have done to us. Jesus said that his disciples would be known by their love for each other. We are to humble ourselves and serve others.
O Lord God, give me the heart of a servant, a servant with love for you and for others. Build in me a spirit of kindness, compassion, and mercy. Help me to know and to do what is right, no matter what the circumstances in my life. Lord, I live in a nation that is filled with hate and with confusion and with turmoil and with strife. Keep me from letting these things into my heart. Help me be a peacemaker, realizing that I do not have all the answers to life, but always being willing to look to your word. Give me wisdom and understanding. I pray in Jesus' name.
Robert
