Thursday Reading: Proverbs 11:16-20
Key Verse: Proverbs 11:20
20 They who are of a perverse heart are hateful to The LORD, but the upright in the way are His delight.
Devotion:
No matter which way you look at it we all have a right to be treated with respect. If we want to be treated with respect then we have to respect others first; it’s no good looking for respect until someone first starts showing respect! There are many ways in which we can do so and God’s Word will give you all of them. Being gracious to start with will draw glory to the target of our affection; so long as that target is God then we draw glory to Him quite easily. Being merciful will make you feel good inside whereas being cruel will eat away at your heart. Our bodies are God’s temples so being merciful will make it a better place, bringing glory to Him.
Just being respectful about simple things like this in life will allow others to see that we respect God and His ways; it shows others that God is our God and they need Him too. Being honest and upright will allow others to see that we uphold God’s ways which are good; not only that but they are profitable for us and for our souls too. We cannot hope to be able to draw closer to God if we are lugging round a whole lot of bad baggage with us. Until we let go of the bad stuff in our lives and allow God to guide us in the right ways we will continue to sink under that load of bad baggage.
There is nothing God hates more than sin and the centre of that sin in a deceitful or perverse heart. You may find it very difficult to let go of some things in your life so asking God to help you to cast them aside will show that you are willing to trust in Him to help you out of your sin. He can lift you up out of any hole that you have dug – so long as you trust Him to help you. That is why He is waiting at the mouth of the hole, not to judge you for digging the hole, but to save you from that hole that you insist on digging!
Points to Ponder:
What things do you do for yourself?
What things do you do for God?
