Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Proverbs 17:25-28
Prov 17:25-28
A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him. To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good, nor to strike the noble for their uprightness. Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.
Eph 4:1-3
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Have you ever said something, and then wish you had not said it? Did you ever speak words and then wish you could get them back? Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. James says that if we can control the tongue, we have made it to perfection. We all have said things that we should not have said. As usual, it is our spirit or our heart that controls what we say. We need to learn to have a cool spirit.
We should listen carefully and then think carefully before we open our mouths and say things. Once the words leave our lips, there is no retrieval or change process. On old saying that originates from our Proverb says that it is better to be quiet and let people think you are a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. It is usually better to err on the side of silence than talking too much.
When Peter was on the mountain with Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, he was in awe and didn’t know what to say. Now, who could blame him!? Surely, all of us would have been speechless to see these three talking to each other! Wisdom says that he should have just kept quiet and listened. But no, not Peter (and not us too often), not knowing what to say, he blurted out that they should build three tents, one for each of these great men. God took Moses and Elijah away, and said they were to listen to Jesus because he was his unique Son and was pleasing to him. Listen. Think. Think some more, keep cool, and then speak if necessary.
O Lord God, I pray that according to the riches of your glory that you would grant me to be strengthened with power through your Spirit in my inner being, so that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith. I want to be rooted and grounded in love so that I may know your love that surpasses knowledge, so that I may be filled with all the fullness of God. I know that you are able to do far more, even abundantly more than I can ask or think, through the power of the Spirit in me. I humbly pray in the name of Jesus, my Lord, my Savior, and my friend.
Robert
