Daily Devotion June 29

June 29: Proverbs 11:16-18

KJV Key Verse: Proverbs 11:17
17 The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.

Devotion:
Sometimes I look at the Bible and wonder how people cannot see how it applies to life today just as it did when it was written. When we look at the words written down in whatever language we read our Bibles in we must remember the original text was not written down in our language as we know it today. Have a look through these three verses again and try to put yourself in a time when they would have been written.

No matter how you look at it, whether you are a man or a woman, a gracious person will always retain their honour whilst one who is not gracious will gladly lose it for the gain of riches or something else. It is the lust for other things in life which will take over and honour leaves the room; which is why our Bibles tell us it is the lust for money which will bring us down.

When we focus on the things of this world and allow them to come first in our lives we lose sight of the very thing Christ reminded us of – that love is at the very centre of our lives and our Bibles. When we focus on love just as Christ says we should, our souls are revived and lifted up. But when we focus on the deceit and other cruel intentions which flood the world, we fill our souls with all of those rotten things. What chance do our physical bodies have when all of our thoughts and emotions are filled with anything but love?

The more we allow those bad things into our lives the more they will control the way we think, act and even talk. This is why Christ warned us to follow the ways of righteousness and not the ways of the world. No matter what language you read your bible in, no matter which translation or tradition you will relate to the sentiment God is trying to put back into our lives – love your neighbour and make a difference today!

Points to Ponder:
Do you judge people before you know it?

Will you follow Christ’s instructions?