Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Proverbs 11:15-31.

“15 He who is guarantor for a stranger will surely suffer for it,
But he who hates being a guarantor is secure.
16 A gracious woman attains honor,
And ruthless men attain riches.
17 The merciful man does himself good,
But the cruel man does himself harm.
18 The wicked earns deceptive wages,
But he who sows righteousness gets a true reward.
19 He who is steadfast in righteousness will attain to life,
And he who pursues evil will bring about his own death.
20 The perverse in heart are an abomination to the Lord,
But the blameless in their walk are His delight.
21 Assuredly, the evil man will not go unpunished,
But the descendants of the righteous will be delivered.
22 As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout
So is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.
23 The desire of the righteous is only good,
But the expectation of the wicked is wrath.
24 There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more,
And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want.
25 The generous man will be prosperous,
And he who waters will himself be watered.
26 He who withholds grain, the people will curse him,
But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.
27 He who diligently seeks good seeks favor,
But he who seeks evil, evil will come to him.
28 He who trusts in his riches will fall,
But the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.
29 He who troubles his own house will inherit wind,
And the foolish will be servant to the wisehearted.
30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
And he who is wise wins souls.
31 If the righteous will be rewarded in the earth,
How much more the wicked and the sinner!”  Proverbs 11:15-31.

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The theme of today’s Scripture is that you reap what you sow.

“The merciful man does himself good,
But the cruel man does himself harm.”  Verse 17.

“The wicked earns deceptive wages,
But he who sows righteousness gets a true reward.”  Verse 18.

“He who is steadfast in righteousness will attain to life,
And he who pursues evil will bring about his own death.”  Verse 19.

“Assuredly, the evil man will not go unpunished,
But the descendants of the righteous will be delivered.”  Verse 21.

“If the righteous will be rewarded in the earth,
How much more the wicked and the sinner!”  (The wicked will be punished.).  Verse 31.

In summary, we read:  “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked;  for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.  For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.  Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.  So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.”  Galatians 6:7-10.

Today’s devotion comes from Proverbs 11:1-14.

“A false balance is an abomination to the Lord,
But a just weight is His delight.
2 When pride comes, then comes dishonor,
But with the humble is wisdom.
3 The integrity of the upright will guide them,
But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them.
4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
But righteousness delivers from death.
5 The righteousness of the blameless will smooth his way,
But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.
6 The righteousness of the upright will deliver them,
But the treacherous will be caught by their own greed.
7 When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish,
And the hope of strong men perishes.
8 The righteous is delivered from trouble,
But the wicked takes his place.
9 With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor,
But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.
10 When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices,
And when the wicked perish, there is joyful shouting.
11 By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
But by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down.
12 He who despises his neighbor lacks sense,
But a man of understanding keeps silent.
13 He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets,
But he who is trustworthy conceals a matter.
14 Where there is no guidance the people fall,
But in abundance of counselors there is victory.”  Proverbs 11:1-14.

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The simple and clear message that the righteous is delivered from trouble is repeated in the highlighted verses 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9.

Likewise, we read similar short summary declarations, or we read long stories of the lives of the righteous showing it, throughout Scripture.

“The righteous cry, and the Lord hears
And delivers them out of all their troubles.”  Psalm 34:17.

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.”  Psalm 34:19.

“You are my hiding place;  You preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with songs of deliverance.  Selah.”  Psalm 32:7.

“For He has delivered me from all trouble,
And my eye has looked with satisfaction upon my enemies.”  Psalm 54:7.

“Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble;
He delivered them out of their distresses.”  Psalm 107:6.

In conclusion, these deliverances from troubles are not just random acts of kindness by God.  The deliverances combine to show Who God is.  “God is to us a God of deliverances”. 

“19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden,
The God who is our salvation.  Selah.
20 God is to us a God of deliverances;
And to God the Lord belong escapes from death.”  Psalm 68:19-20.

Today’s devotion comes from Proverbs 10:17-32.

“17 He is on the path of life who heeds instruction,
But he who ignores reproof goes astray.
18 He who conceals hatred has lying lips,
And he who spreads slander is a fool.
19 When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable,
But he who restrains his lips is wise.
20 The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver,
The heart of the wicked is worth little.
21 The lips of the righteous feed many,
But fools die for lack of understanding.
22 It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich,
And He adds no sorrow to it.
23 Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool,
And so is wisdom to a man of understanding.
24 What the wicked fears will come upon him,
But the desire of the righteous will be granted.
25 When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more,
But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.
26 Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the lazy one to those who send him.
27 The fear of the Lord prolongs life,
But the years of the wicked will be shortened.
28 The hope of the righteous is gladness,
But the expectation of the wicked perishes.
29 The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the upright,
But ruin to the workers of iniquity.
30 The righteous will never be shaken,
But the wicked will not dwell in the land.
31 The mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom,
But the perverted tongue will be cut out.
32 The lips of the righteous bring forth what is acceptable,
But the mouth of the wicked what is perverted.”  Proverbs 10:17-32.

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“Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.”  Proverbs 31:30.

We tend to praise the lips of the beautiful, rather we should praise the production of the lips of the righteous.

“The lips of the righteous feed many, …”  Verse 21.

“The lips of the righteous bring forth what is acceptable, …”  Verse 32.

“The mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom, …”  Verse 31.

“The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.”  Proverbs 10:11.

Today’s devotion comes from Proverbs 10:1-16.

“A wise son makes a father glad,
But a foolish son is a grief to his mother.
2 Ill-gotten gains do not profit,
But righteousness delivers from death.
3 The Lord will not allow the righteous to hunger,
But He will reject the craving of the wicked.
4 Poor is he who works with a negligent hand,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.
5 He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely,
But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully.
6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
7 The memory of the righteous is blessed,
But the name of the wicked will rot.
8 The wise of heart will receive commands,
But a babbling fool will be ruined.
9 He who walks in integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will be found out.
10 He who winks the eye causes trouble,
And a babbling fool will be ruined.
11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
12 Hatred stirs up strife,
But love covers all transgressions.
13 On the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found,
But a rod is for the back of him who lacks understanding.
14 Wise men store up knowledge,
But with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.
15 The rich man’s wealth is his fortress,
The ruin of the poor is their poverty.
16 The wages of the righteous is life,
The income of the wicked, punishment.”  Proverbs 10:1-16.

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“Wise men store up knowledge …”.  Verse 14.  This is one of the goals of Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions which, so to speak, believes that Reformed Doctrine is not just one dusty book in a Christian library, but rather is the consistent true summary of Scripture.

“Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser,
Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.”  Proverbs 9:9.

“A wise man will hear and increase in learning,
And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,”  Proverbs 1:5.

Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions is not afraid to meditate on every chapter of the Bible.  The more we meditate on Scripture and in the language of today’s Scripture “store up knowledge“, the more we see Reformed Doctrine throughout Scripture, and the easier it is for us to understand Scripture using the roadmap of Reformed Doctrine that we put together piece by piece, chapter by chapter, to help us understand Scripture.

“… knowledge is easy to one who has understanding.”  Proverbs 14:6.

Other doctrine is all about knowing himself or herself and what he or she should do.

But, Reformed Doctrine is all about knowledge of God and what He has done.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”  Proverbs 9:10.

“Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;  but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth;  for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.”  Jeremiah 9:23-24.

Today’s devotion comes from Proverbs chapter 9.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+9&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“Wisdom has built her house,
She has hewn out her seven pillars;
2 She has prepared her food, she has mixed her wine;
She has also set her table;
3 She has sent out her maidens, she calls
From the tops of the heights of the city:
4 “Whoever is naive, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks understanding she says,
5 “Come, eat of my food
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 “Forsake your folly and live,
And proceed in the way of understanding.”

7 He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself,
And he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself.
8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you,
Reprove a wise man and he will love you.
9 Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser,
Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For by me your days will be multiplied,
And years of life will be added to you.
12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,
And if you scoff, you alone will bear it.”  Proverbs 9:1-12.

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Wisdom is fully prepared, and Wisdom fully completes its mission.  That is the meaning of the following verses 1-6.

“Wisdom has built her house,
She has hewn out her seven pillars;
2 She has prepared her food, she has mixed her wine;
She has also set her table;
3 She has sent out her maidens, she calls
From the tops of the heights of the city:
4 “Whoever is naive, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks understanding she says,
5 “Come, eat of my food
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 “Forsake your folly and live,
And proceed in the way of understanding.”  Verses 1-6.

The fool’s rejection of Wisdom’s invitation does not destroy nor even thwart Wisdom’s mission.  Wisdom understands that the scoffer and the wicked man will reject Wisdom’s invitation.  Don’t fret about it the scoffer and the wicked man;  know that the righteous and wise man will accept Wisdom’s invitation. 

“7 He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself,
And he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself.
8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you,
Reprove a wise man and he will love you.
9 Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser,
Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.”  Verses 7-9.

Other doctrine focuses on the scoffer and the wicked man and “fears” (holds in awe) alleged free-will of man believing  that if we only preach and teach better and if only the scoffer and wicked would listen better, then the scoffer and the wicked would come to their senses. 

But, Reformed Doctrine focuses on God (and the full preparation of Wisdom, a metaphor of God) and fears God knowing that God exercises lovingkindness in saving the righteous and the wise and that God exercises justice in condemning the scoffer and the wicked.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”  Verse 10.

“Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;  but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth;  for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.”  Jeremiah 9:23-24.

Wisdom’s preparation and invitation in today’s Scripture reminds us of the wedding feast parable of Jesus.

“Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.  And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come.  Again he sent out other slaves saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner;  my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready;  come to the wedding feast.”’  But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them.  But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire.  Then he *said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.  Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.’  Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good;  and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests.

“But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, and he *said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’  And the man was speechless.  Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’  For many are called, but few are chosen.”  Matthew 22:1-14.

Today’s devotion comes from Proverbs 8:22-36.

“22 “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way,
Before His works of old.
23 “From everlasting I was established,
From the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth.
24 “When there were no depths I was brought forth,
When there were no springs abounding with water.
25 “Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills I was brought forth;
26 While He had not yet made the earth and the fields,
Nor the first dust of the world.
27 “When He established the heavens, I was there,
When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,
28 When He made firm the skies above,
When the springs of the deep became fixed,
29 When He set for the sea its boundary
So that the water would not transgress His command,
When He marked out the foundations of the earth;
30 Then I was beside Him, as a master workman;
And I was daily His delight,
Rejoicing always before Him,
31 Rejoicing in the world, His earth,
And having my delight in the sons of men.

32 “Now therefore, O sons, listen to me,
For blessed are they who keep my ways.
33 “Heed instruction and be wise,
And do not neglect it.
34 “Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at my doorposts.
35 “For he who finds me finds life
And obtains favor from the Lord.
36 “But he who sins against me injures himself;
All those who hate me love death.”  Proverbs 8:22-36.

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We can’t say:  “I don’t need wisdom today.”  We need wisdom every day.

Wisdom was beside Almighty God at God’s creation of the world.

“30 Then I (Wisdom) was beside Him (God), as a master workman;
And I was daily His delight,
Rejoicing always before Him,
31 Rejoicing in the world, His earth,
And having my delight in the sons of men.”  Verses 30-31.

How much more should we (finite and sinful creatures) seek wisdom!  

“Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at my doorposts.”  Verse 34.

“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it;  for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”  Joshua 1:8.

“2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.”  Psalm 1:2-3.

Today’s devotion comes from Proverbs 8:12-21.

“12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
And I find knowledge and discretion.
13 “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverted mouth, I hate.
14 “Counsel is mine and sound wisdom;
I am understanding, power is mine.
15 “By me kings reign,
And rulers decree justice.
16 “By me princes rule, and nobles,
All who judge rightly.
17 “I love those who love me;
And those who diligently seek me will find me.
18 “Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring wealth and righteousness.
19 “My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold,
And my yield better than choicest silver.
20 “I walk in the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,
21 To endow those who love me with wealth,
That I may fill their treasuries.”  Proverbs 8:12-21.

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So hard to write this devotion.

First of all, it is Thanksgiving, a holiday, surely I can skip writing this holiday.

Second, although today’s Scripture shows that wisdom dwells with prudence in verse 12, I rather have fun than be with prudence.

Third, although today’s Scripture states that the fear of the LORD is to hate evil in verse 13, I am not sure how much I hate evil.  When I don’t participate in evil, too often I like to look at it from a safe distance.

Fourth, although kings rule and rulers decree justice in verse 15, I don’t readily identify myself with such leaders.

Fifth, although riches and enduring wealth and filled treasuries are with wisdom, too often I worry about my bank account and retirement savings.

Too often, my mind is set on man’s doing.

But then, through God’s grace, I think of Scripture and God’s doing.

“For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;  but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.  But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”  1 Corinthians 1:26-31.

And, I am thankful.  By God’s doing, I am in Christ.

By God’s doing, I have the wisdom of Christ.

By God’s doing, I have the righteousness of Christ.

By God’s doing, I have attained “all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself,  in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”  Colossians 2:2-3.

Happy Thanksgiving!