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Proverbs Devotional 5.1.20

By May 1, 2020May 3rd, 2020Daily Devotional

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 1

Reflect:

Proverbs 1:7

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction. 

If you’ve been reading these devotionals daily, the month of May starts your fifth time to read through the book. Let me begin by saying, “Well done!” My prayer has been and will always be that you would be refreshed, encouraged, and strengthened by your time in the Proverbs.

I wanted to start May out by looking at a verse we’ve already looked at: Proverbs 1:7. Remember, this verse is the motto of proverbs. A motto is a short phrase or sentence that encapsulates an idea or a theme. A motto gives us a hook to grab hold of or to hang our beliefs on. 

Back in January, our conclusion was, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge…period.  Understand that godly wisdom will only come as we acknowledge God first. Know that everything is created and sustained by God, and that ‘everything’ includes knowledge. He is the one who imparts knowledge through revelation, experience, observation, and reason.” 

I think it’s vital that we remember this especially at this time as the world battles against the COVID-19 virus. If you listen to the news (which I do as well), it can seem as though the world is falling apart. It can lead one to be filled with anxiety. But that’s not to be true of the believer! At least it shouldn’t be. 

Look, there are a lot of things we don’t understand, and that’s okay; remember that we are finite beings who are limited in our understanding. But God, the one we stand in awe of, is infinitely wise, all-powerful, all-knowing, unchanging. He spoke and everything came into being. Nothing happens without His knowing. In other words, nothing catches Him off guard! Matthew 10:29-30 (TPT), captures this thought perfectly. Jesus was about to send His disciples out and He knew fear would raise its head, so He encouraged them by speaking truth. He said, “You can buy two sparrows for only a copper coin, yet not even one sparrow falls from its nest without the knowledge of your Father. Aren’t you worth much more to God than many sparrows? So don’t worry. For your Father cares deeply about even the smallest detail of your life.” Even the number of hairs on your head are accounted for! 

Let me put that in perspective for you—13.7 million birds die in the U.S. every single day. Now think about that for a moment. God is keeping an accounting of not only each bird that falls but the number of hairs on your head! That’s astounding! That is the God we stand in fear of, the God who watches over us, the God we can rest in during uncertain times. (Note: this thought came from a Paul Trip podcast) 

Respond:

This God, the one involved with the intricate details of our universe, is the same God who watches over you! “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Give God the things you don’t understand and rest in His love for you. 

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:
Proverbs 24:3-4
By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.

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