Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Proverbs 18:6-10
Prov 18:6-10
6 A fool’s lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating. 7 A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul. 8 The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body. 9 Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys. 10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.
Eph 4:29-31
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
We all know people who are bitter. They are negative about everything. Nothing is ever right. They usually get angry very quickly and say things that they should not say, hurt feelings, and make bad situations worse. For the child of God to be like this grieves the Holy Spirit who lives within us and who is our promise of eternal life. What makes this even worse is that not only are they unhappy, so is everyone else who comes in contact with them. Get rid of bitterness and clamor.
Most people like this have faced some great trauma in their lives and have let it make them bitter toward themselves, toward others, or even toward God. This is because they only see themselves in the situation that happened and do not see God or take into account his goodness. God has promised that he will use everything that happens to us for our good, if we love him and trust him. What makes this so hard is that we don’t see the end of things as God sees it.
Learn from Job. He lost the entire farm, and he had no insurance. His children were all killed in a tornado. And then he got so sick that he just wanted to die but he lived, and in great pain. We don’t know how long this went on, but it may have been days, weeks, months, or even years. He asked God why this was happening when he was trying so hard to live for him. Then, his friends came and blamed him and his sin. His wife said for him to curse God and die. God never told him why, but only that he was God and to just trust him. He did and God blessed him.
O Lord God, help me remember that I cannot see things from your perspective of what is really good or fathom life without time as I know it. You are so far above me in every way, so help me trust you, even in the worst situations of life. Give your peace to those who have lost the one they love so dearly and help them put their trust in you and in your goodness. Be with our nation and give us leaders who will listen to your word and honor your name. I pray in Jesus’ name.
Robert
