Proverbs Devotional 3.8.20

I. Prayer to enter the Lord’s presence:

Be still for a moment. “Lord, I give the day that is now past to you.  It is yours.  I give the day that is to come to you; help me to see where you are working and to join you there.  Speak to me during these moments.  I commit them and myself to you.”

 II. Prayer of Confession:

“Lord, you are faithful to forgive me and cleanse me of my sin when I confess it to you.  I confess my sin(s) of ______________.  Thank you for forgiveness.” (1 John 1:9)

III. Prayer of Thanksgiving:

Choose to be thankful, speak out loud of what God has done.
“Thank you, Father, for _________________.  Fill my heart and my mouth with gratitude throughout this day.”

IV. Scripture Reflection

Read: Proverbs Chapter 8

Reflect:

Proverbs 8:6-10

6 Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say;
I open my lips to speak what is right.
7 My mouth speaks what is true,
for my lips detest wickedness.
8 All the words of my mouth are just;
none of them is crooked or perverse.
9 To the discerning all of them are right;
they are upright to those who have found knowledge.
10 Choose my instruction instead of silver,
knowledge rather than choice gold, 

Reflection: I love how the attributes of wisdom are personified in Lady Wisdom. What do I mean by personified? A personification is a type of metaphor and a standard literary tool. It’s used when you assign the qualities of a person to something that isn’t human, or that isn’t even alive, like nature or emotions. It helps us understand the writer’s message better. So, when we picture Lady Wisdom standing at the city gate, in the middle of all the hustle and bustle of the day, shouting out to the people, calling them to herself, we understand what the writer is trying to get across: Wisdom is essential, it’s available to all who will listen, and it is accessible in all of life’s circumstances.

In vv.6-10 we find her calling out to all humanity. That’s you and me. And what is it that she’s saying? She’s telling us to watch what comes out of our mouths. Look at the ethical quality of speech coming from her lips and mouth. She uses words like trustworthy things (noble things). She speaks things that are right, true, and just. Now, look at what is not coming out of her mouth. She doesn’t let things that are wicked, crooked, or perverse, come out of her mouth. She’s not deceptive or pertinacious. Why? Because she’s concerned with character! The words that are associated with her speech are consistently righteous, with not even a hint of crookedness or deception. In fact, she moves away from words that are twisted and perverse. She even challenges us to look to those who have walked the path of righteousness long enough to have a degree of discernment and see how they have recognized the merit of her counsel. It’s like she is saying, “Talk to them, see if they don’t tell you the same thing!” She leaves us with a choice. Will we walk in her ways, or will we choose to pass by and rely on our own wisdom and understanding? To do the latter would be a mistake. Will you take her message to heart?

Respond: 

Listen to wisdom’s call today. Let it guide the speech that comes off your lips. Make it your goal to align your speech with wisdom. Avoid speech characterized as gossip, rumor, slander, and lies.

V. Prayer for others:

Pray specifically for the concerns of your life and the lives of others. 

VI. Prayer of commitment:

“Lord God, I commit to love you with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my strength and with all my mind and to love my neighbor as myself.  Empower me today to love you and others with everything that I am.”  (Luke 10:27)

This Week’s Scripture Memory: