Category: “Listening to God” Devotional

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Proverbs+022

 

Proverbs 22 (ESV)

⁶ Train up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old he will not depart from it…

¹⁵ Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
but the rod of discipline drives it far from him…

¹⁷ Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise,
and apply your heart to my knowledge,
¹⁸ for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,
if all of them are ready on your lips.
¹⁹ That your trust may be in the Lord,
I have made them known to you today, even to you.
²⁰ Have I not written for you thirty sayings
of counsel and knowledge,
²¹ to make you know what is right and true,
that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?

 

REFLECTION:

Children often do stupid and dangerous things because they do not understand the seriousness of the consequences. Even if parents set an example for their children, they may not be able to pass wisdom and knowledge to the next generation. Parents must teach carefully so that their children can learn wisdom. The “rod of discipline” (v15) represents all kinds of discipline or training, not just beating. Just as God disciplines and corrects us and makes us improve, parents must also discipline our children so that they can discern right from wrong. The original meaning of “in the way he should go” (v6) is “teaching in the way of the children”. Many parents want to train their children to be the same as themselves, or train them in the same way they have experienced. Other parents always want to arrange everything for their children, which is harmful to their children. Parents should recognize the characteristics God has given to each child, teach them according to God’s will, and cultivate them into people who are pleasing to man and God, and possess independent ability and heavenly wisdom. At the same time, we ourselves should strive to seek God’s wisdom, listen to God and rely on God in everything, so that we can teach by example rather than preaching, and make our children walk in the way they should go.

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to give you a heart of obedience, so that you can discipline your children according to God’s will, not your own will. Pray for God to give you more wisdom, so that you can better understand the characteristics of your children and discipline them accordingly. Ask God to strengthen your faith, even if your children are grown up. You can use your own example to influence them so that they will not deviate from God’s path.

 

HYMN:

When Trials Come – www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpScEpriWZs

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Proverbs+021

 

Proverbs 21 (ESV)

¹ The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;
he turns it wherever he will.
² Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,
but the Lord weighs the heart.
³ To do righteousness and justice
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice…

³⁰No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel
can avail against the Lord.
³¹ The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but the victory belongs to the Lord.

 

REFLECTION:

These verses emphasize the absolute sovereignty of God in our lives. In the time of King Solomon, the king had absolute authority and was even regarded as a god. But these verses point out that only God has the ultimate authority to govern everything. No matter how powerful the kings in the world are, their power is bestowed by God, and their minds are all under the control of God. People in the world often like to be in charge of everything, forget God’s sovereignty, and will be self-righteous and make excuses for what they do, but God can see through people’s motives through their excuses. When it is difficult to discern whether what we are doing is correct, we need to be cautious. We must first seek God’s will, then examine our motives, and finally make a decision. God is pleased that we listen to His Words, but He is more pleased that we follow His Words and exercise justice and fairness in the world. And we should remember that without God’s permission, no matter how smart and wise we are, no matter how much we prepare, it will be futile. Of course, with God’s help, we must also do our part. It is God’s responsibility to accomplish things, but this does not relieve us of our responsibilities. If you can do your part, God will be able to use you to accomplish His will.

 

PRAYER:

Come to God humbly, recognize God’s absolute sovereignty in your life, and offer your praise, worship, and gratitude to God. Ask God to remove your self-righteous rebellion and pride and give you wisdom to seek God’s will in everything you do. Ask God to give you the ability to work hard in everything you do, not to deviate from God’s guidance, and to fulfill your duty.

 

HYMN:

Center – www.youtube.com/watch?v=_V-QV4DOjMA

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Proverbs+020

 

Proverbs 20 (ESV)

⁶ Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love,
but a faithful man who can find?
⁷ The righteous who walks in his integrity—
blessed are his children after him!
⁸ A king who sits on the throne of judgment
winnows all evil with his eyes.
⁹ Who can say, “I have made my heart pure;
I am clean from my sin”?
¹⁰ Unequal weights and unequal measures
are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
¹¹ Even a child makes himself known by his acts,
by whether his conduct is pure and upright…

¹⁷ Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man,
but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel…

²³ Unequal weights are an abomination to the Lord,
and false scales are not good.

 

REFLECTION:

No one is completely innocent. Soon after every confession and repentance, sinful thoughts and actions will begin to quietly rise in our lives, so that we need God’s cleansing all the time. Thank God, when we pray, He grants forgiveness of sins. When you talk to God, you must always confess your sins and repent, and always rely on Him to cleanse you. “Unequal weights” and “unequal measures” refer to merchants using different scales to deceive customers. Do I have “unequal weights” for people? It is difficult for people to avoid the sin of dishonesty in everything. We think that no one will discover the most secret activities in our hearts. In fact, all our thoughts and actions are under the examination of God. We should fully understand the dangers of dishonesty. Fraud affects the deepest part of the soul and makes people unreliable and untrustworthy. In the end, he contradicted himself, split his personality, and couldn’t get along with others in peace. Don’t underestimate dishonesty in trivial matters, because just a little bit of dishonesty can poison your spiritual life. If there is any dishonesty in your life, you must come to God immediately and ask for forgiveness.

 
PRAYER:

Ask God to bless you so that you can be a faithful, kind, and righteous person throughout your life. Ask God to give you a strong and prudent heart, and to maintain integrity and honesty no matter how big or small things are. Ask God to purify you always so that your life will be sincere and pure like a child, and please God.

 

HYMN:

Purify My Heart – www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkqJHUJlKVM

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Proverbs+019

 

Proverbs 19 (ESV)

¹³ A foolish son is ruin to his father,
and a wife’s quarreling is a continual dripping of rain.
¹⁴ House and wealth are inherited from fathers,
but a prudent wife is from the Lord…

¹⁸ Discipline your son, for there is hope;
do not set your heart on putting him to death…

²⁶ He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother
is a son who brings shame and reproach.

 

REFLECTION:

These verses especially remind us how to seek God’s wisdom in the closest parent-child and husband-wife relationship. As children, we must first respect our parents and obey our parents’ teaching in everything. This is also a commandment given to us by God. Parents should also discipline and love their children in accordance with God’s will, and should not annoy or discourage their children. Wives must obey their husbands and be a virtuous woman pleasing to God, and don’t always nag and quarrel like continuous rain; husbands must love their wives, not mistreat their wives, and be willing to sacrifice their life for their wives. Reflect whether you are pleasing to God in both parent-child and husband-wife relationships.

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to guide you to be wise to deal with all kinds of conflicts in parent-child and husband-wife relationships, and be a person who makes peace and blesses the whole family. If you have a damaged or even broken family relationship, ask God to have mercy and give you wisdom, love, and courage. Take the initiative to repair damaged relationships.

 

HYMN:

Still, My Soul Be Still – www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9t5_ZNmaw

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Proverbs+018

 

Proverbs 18 (ESV)

⁴ The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;
the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook…

⁶ A fool’s lips walk into a fight,
and his mouth invites a beating…

¹³ If one gives an answer before he hears,
it is his folly and shame.
¹⁴ A man’s spirit will endure sickness,
but a crushed spirit who can bear?
¹⁵ An intelligent heart acquires knowledge,
and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
¹⁶ A man’s gift makes room for him
and brings him before the great.

¹⁷ The one who states his case first seems right,
until the other comes and examines him…

²⁰ From the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach is satisfied;
he is satisfied by the yield of his lips.
²¹ Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
and those who love it will eat its fruits.

 

REFLECTION:

These verses remind us that it is difficult to manage our ears and tongue, and we need the wisdom and self-control given by God. Not listening to people’s gossip is sometimes as difficult as not eating food. No matter which one you have tasted, it will make you want to try again. If you are determined not to listen to people’s gossip, you should listen to God’s words more and act according to them, and be self-disciplined like a dieter. If you don’t listen to people’s gossip at first, there will be no second or third time. As James 3 warns us, the tongue is fire. In our bodies, the tongue is a sinful world. It can defile the whole body and light the wheel of life, and it is kindled from hell. While not listening to people’s gossip, we should also subdue our tongues, not expose people’s shortcomings, and not speak slanderous words. Reflect if you are a person who loves to listen to gossip or to spread gossip—or both. Ask God to have mercy so that you can listen to God’s words more and speak more words that glorify God.

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to give you wisdom, manage your ears well, and not listen to the slanderous words behind people, nor the short and long gossips; and pray for God to give you the strength of gentleness and restraint to subdue your tongue, no fiddling nor judging but be a wise person who listens more and complains less.

 

HYMN:

The Power of The Cross – www.youtube.com/watch?v=uS7fc7VTJZs

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Proverbs+017

 

Proverbs 17 (ESV)

¹ Better is a dry morsel with quiet
than a house full of feasting with strife…

⁹ Whoever covers an offense seeks love,
but he who repeats a matter separates close friends…

¹⁴ The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
so quit before the quarrel breaks out…

¹⁷ A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for adversity…

¹⁹ Whoever loves transgression loves strife;
he who makes his door high seeks destruction…

²⁷ Whoever restrains his words has knowledge,
and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
²⁸ Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise;
when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.

 

REFLECTION:

These verses admonish us not to dispute, and the secret to calm disputes is to love each other. In love, we are willing to forgive those who have offended us. When arguing with others with resentment, it is easy for people to single out all the other’s mistakes, but love will silence one’s mouth and bear the other’s faults patiently. Therefore, we must not count the evil of people when we get along with people, and strive to follow the teachings God gave us in 1 Corinthians 13. Although this is not easy to do, we must do our best. Also focus the discussion on the matter, and don’t include irrelevant things or past issues into the argument. Since we want to grow into the likeness of Christ, we should use God’s power to forgive people for their past sins. In addition, we should also understand the benefits of “silence is gold”: if there is nothing worth talking about or useless in saying, silence is the best practice. In silence, you will pay more attention to listening and learning, and you will be wiser to distinguish right from wrong and discern everything.

 
PRAYER:

Pray for God to increase your mental strength so that you can be more patient and tolerant. When you get along with others, you will see more of the strengths of others instead of focusing on their faults. Pray that God will give you the wisdom to speak appropriately, and you can speak more encouraging and edifying words that are like apples of gold in a setting of silver, and you can also understand when to remain silent to benefit others.

 

HYMN:

Speak, O Lord – www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubRlJj8xkds

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Proverbs+016

 

Proverbs 16 (ESV)

¹ The plans of the heart belong to man,
but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
² All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
but the Lord weighs the spirit.
³ Commit your work to the Lord,
and your plans will be established…

⁹ The heart of man plans his way,
but the Lord establishes his steps…

³³ The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from the Lord.

 

REFLECTION:

“The answer of the tongue is from the Lord,” which means man proposes but God disposes, and the final result of our plan is in the hands of God. But with that said, why should we plan? In fact, when doing God’s will, we must match our efforts with God’s management. He wants us to think for ourselves, seek the opinions of others, and make plans. Of course, the result is all in Him, and the plan is just to help us act in God’s way. Since you live for God, you should ask Him to show you how to plan, and then rely on Him to do what you planned. Some people did not really entrust what they did to God, but temporarily handed over their own affairs to God to manage them. When the situation was different from what they expected, they took over it; some people did not work hard at all. They used “commit to God” as an excuse for laziness and questioned why they were not successful. We must maintain a wise balance between “trusting God and relying on Him in everything” and “working hard and doing our part in everything”. Think about the hard work you are doing now. Have you fully entrusted it to God?

 

PRAYER:

Ask God to guide your steps so that you can be led by Him in everything; ask God to give you wisdom so that you can maintain a good balance between “working hard” and “committing to God”. You can do your best, and at the same time you can entrust the results to God, without worrying or thinking you are always right, knowing that everything has God’s good will.

 

HYMN:

In Christ Alone – www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWiFYJMGas0

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Proverbs+015

 

Proverbs 15 (ESV)

¹ A soft answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.
² The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,
but the mouths of fools pour out folly.
³ The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
keeping watch on the evil and the good.
⁴ A gentle tongue is a tree of life,
but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

 

REFLECTION:

Have you ever tried to argue with people softly? In a conflict, if you insist on responding with a gentle attitude, others will not easily quarrel with you irrationally. On the other hand, perverse and violent words often arouse the other side’s bad words, and can also break the hearts of both parties in the quarrel. If you want to eliminate anger and seek peace, you must have a wise heart and use gentle words to edify people. Sometimes God seems to allow evil to run rampant in this world, and we may even wonder whether God notices these things, but God clearly sees everything that happens in the world, including man’s evil deeds and the most secret motives that contribute to it. God is not an indifferent bystander, He not only cares for us, but also works justice in this world. God has His own time, and sometimes we may not see Him at work, but we should never lose heart. One day, God will eliminate evil and punish the wicked; He will also demonstrate justice and reward those who do His will.

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to give you wisdom and peace of mind, and a gentle tongue, so that what you say can edify people. Pray for God to strengthen your faith, so that you can understand that the righteous God looks at everything that happens in the world. He even knows the most secret motive in everyone’s heart. All people are naked and exposed to the eyes of God, with nowhere to hide. God’s justice will be manifested, the wicked will be punished, and the righteous will be rewarded by Him.

 

HYMN:

All Creatures of Our God and King – www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUZD0hgtSgE

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Proverbs+014

 

Proverbs 14 (ESV)

¹⁷ A man of quick temper acts foolishly,
and a man of evil devices is hated…

²⁹ Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding,
but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.
³⁰ A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh,
but envy makes the bones rot.

 

REFLECTION:

Some people are born with impatience. This is not a bad thing. God made each of us different from others in order to show his special grace in each of us. The Apostle John was called the “Son of Thunder”. He was a man with strong personality and short temper, but he was edified by the Lord to become a humble and gentle disciple who spread the love of the Lord and pleased the Lord throughout his life. However, we should understand that whether we are born with strong tempers or soft tempers, we should not get angry easily, anger will destroy the relationship between people, and it will make us take actions beyond repentance, causing harm, bitterness, and sin. However, anger itself is not always wrong. It is a reasonable response to be angry at seeing injustice and sin. The Lord Jesus was also angry when He saw the temple as a place for business. When you want to get angry, first find out the reason for your anger. Are you angry because of seeing evil and injustice, or are you angry because of selfishness? You should ask God to help you control your irritable temperament, manage your emotions with wisdom, and overcome selfish anger with humility and repentance.

 

PRAYER:

Ask God to enlighten you so that you can understand how serious the damage caused by selfish anger is. Ask God to give you wisdom, whether you are born with a quick temper or slow temper, you can manage your emotions well in all daily affairs; treat others with integrity and humility, neither arrogant nor cowardly.

 

HYMN:

Jesus, Your Mercy – www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOCOxuO5D34

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Proverbs+013

 

Proverbs 13 (ESV)

⁴ The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,
while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied…

¹¹ Wealth gained hastily will dwindle,
but whoever gathers little by little will increase it…

²² A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,
but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.
²³ The fallow ground of the poor would yield much food,
but it is swept away through injustice.
²⁴ Whoever spares the rod hates his son,
but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.
²⁵ The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite,
but the belly of the wicked suffers want.

 

REFLECTION:

1. This passage again admonishes the great difference between laziness and hard work, sinners and righteous people. Lazy sinners try to get something for nothing, and the wealth they have obtained by fraud will eventually be completely wiped out under God’s righteous judgment. Only by diligence and integrity, and obeying God’s words, can we be prosperous in the long run. Not only will we accumulate treasures in heaven, God will also provide abundant supplies for everything needed on earth. In this world full of sin and injustice, the poor and the righteous are often hurt by the sinners and the wicked. As children of God, we should be hardworking and upright, and we should also bravely oppose all injustice. Our struggle may not help for the time being, but God is pleased with us to do this, and God’s justice will eventually prevail, and God will redress for all those who are oppressed.
2. It is not easy for parents who love their children to discipline their children, but it is indispensable. The greatest responsibility God has given to parents is to nurture and guide their children. Parents who lack discipline for their children will also have their love greatly compromised because they do not pay attention to the cultivation of their children’s virtues. Disciplining children can protect them from disasters in the future. Children who lack discipline can’t tell right from wrong when they grow up, and don’t know what to do with their own life direction. This passage reminds us not to be afraid to discipline your children. This is an act of love. But remember, your punishment is not to make your children obey your authority, but to lead them to fear God and seek God’s wisdom.

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to give you a hardworking, upright, and courageous heart. You can work diligently on everything you do with your hands; when experiencing injustice, you will not fear the power and redress the injustice for the oppressed and the poor, and seek God’s justice; ask God to make you wise to not spoil your children while loving them, and understand that disciplining your children and making them obey God’s words is the best love for them.

 

HYMN:

Turn Your Eyes – www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2tKVqZZiI4