Category: “Listening to God” Devotional

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Proverbs 26 (ESV)

²⁰For lack of wood the fire goes out,
and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.
²¹ As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.
²² The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
they go down into the inner parts of the body.
²³ Like the glaze covering an earthen vessel
are fervent lips with an evil heart.
²⁴ Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips
and harbors deceit in his heart;
²⁵ when he speaks graciously, believe him not,
for there are seven abominations in his heart;
²⁶ though his hatred be covered with deception,
his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
²⁷ Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.
²⁸ A lying tongue hates its victims,
and a flattering mouth works ruin.

 

REFLECTION:

Saying things that irritate people or spreading gossip will only keep the fire of anger burning. Keeping quiet is like taking away the firewood under a cauldron, and the fire naturally goes out. Does anyone keep irritating you? Make up your mind not to blame that person and see if your anger will be extinguished due to lack of firewood. In order to fight back, do you intentionally or unintentionally anger others, especially those close to you? May you control your tongue from now on, no matter how others treat you, you only treat others with a gentle and kind heart. We must also guard against the sweet words of deceitful people, and have the wisdom to discern their hidden motives. We all love to listen to words of praise and flattery, and we should be awakened to the dangers, and avoid unknowingly falling into the trap dug by the deceitful. These proverb verses also warn those who are double-tongued that they will eventually harm themselves by trying to harm others, and they will be judged by God justly.

 
PRAYER:

If someone irritates you, ask God to calm your anger and give you patience, kindness, and goodness. Do not insist on a tooth for a tooth or an eye for an eye; ask God to give you the strength to trust Him, protect your heart, and control your tongue, never say anything that irritates people, and treat those who oppose or hurt you with gentleness, integrity, and honesty.

 

HYMN:

This Is the Air I Breathe – www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEDcKZB7r2A

 

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Proverbs 25 (ESV)

¹These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied…

¹¹A word fitly spoken
is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.
¹² Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold
is a wise reprover to a listening ear…

¹⁵With patience a ruler may be persuaded,
and a soft tongue will break a bone…

²¹If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat,
and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,
²² for you will heap burning coals on his head,
and the Lord will reward you.

 

REFLECTION:

1. Appropriate words have precious value. They can encourage people to be more active toward good, and they can also persuade people to abandon evil. Appropriate words are not flattering, but to speak honestly with love, without seeking your own benefit, and with patience and humility to exhort and build others. Appropriate words also contain wisdom from God, and this wisdom teaches us how to look at other people’s difficulties from their perspective with empathy. Do you often say appropriate words in your family, church, and workplace? Ask God to give you the wisdom to do this.
2. Repaying evil with good is a way of return pleasing to God, and it is also the most effective way of return, but it is difficult to implement in humans. Paul quoted this Proverb verse in Romans (cf. Romans 12:19-21), and the Lord Jesus also urged us to pray for our persecutors in the Gospel of Matthew (cf. Matthew 5:44). Repaying evil with good means that God who is righteous will judge everything. He will reward those who do this and will also redress for those who have been wronged. Consider whether you have encountered or are experiencing injustice. Are you willing to deal with it in a way that pleases God?

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to give you wisdom and dexterity, so that you can speak appropriate words with honesty and love on different occasions, resolve disputes, and encourage others; pray for tolerance and kindness, so that you can learn the lesson of returning evil with good. Not only are you willing to forgive those who have hurt you, but also willing to pray for them and lead them to God. Please pray for someone who has hurt you.

 

HYMN:

Jesus Lover of My Soul – www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5jxwHjC6Xk

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Proverbs+024

 

Proverbs 24 (ESV)

²³ These also are sayings of the wise…

³⁰ I passed by the field of a sluggard,
by the vineyard of a man lacking sense,
³¹ and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns;
the ground was covered with nettles,
and its stone wall was broken down.
³² Then I saw and considered it;
I looked and received instruction.
³³ A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest,
³⁴ and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
and want like an armed man.

 

REFLECTION:

These few proverb verses warn of the evil consequences of laziness and teach us to be vigilant at all times in our lives, to take precautions for everything, and to have a sense of alertness, otherwise danger and corruption will come quickly. This is not just a reminder that we must be prepared for everything in our lives, but more of a spiritual reminder. Our spiritual growth is like sailing against the current. If we relax, we will retreat for a thousand miles and we will be caught by the devil’s tricks. The devil often uses laziness and slack to cage us, allowing us to unknowingly retreat in our daily comfort. When we are awakened, the spiritual land has been overgrown with thorns and weeds, and there is no place for crops to grow. Reflect if you are living a “comfortable” Christian life? May you be enlightened by these few proverb verses, wake up from your comfortable sleep, serve faithfully in the church, build God’s house together with your brothers and sisters, and have daily devotion diligently. Cultivate your own spiritual fertile land so that your life will have a rich harvest.

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to make you understand that spiritual growth is like riding a boat against the current and retreating without advancing, so that you can get out of your comfort zone, entrust yourself to God, and let God lead your way and shape your life. Ask God to give you more perseverance and diligence, serve in more church ministries, and persevere in Bible reading, devotion, and praying every day, living a holy life, leaving no place for the devil, and walking in God’s way without slacking.

 

HYMN:

Take My Life – www.youtube.com/watch?v=agROj9nTQP4

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Proverbs+023

 

Proverbs 23 (ESV)

²²Listen to your father who gave you life,
and do not despise your mother when she is old.
²³ Buy truth, and do not sell it;
buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
²⁴ The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice;
he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him.
²⁵ Let your father and mother be glad;
let her who bore you rejoice.

²⁶ My son, give me your heart,
and let your eyes observe my ways.

 

REFLECTION:

The verses in the previous chapter exhort us on how to discipline children as parents, and the verses in this chapter teach us how to listen to the teachings of parents and ask their wisdom for guidance from the children’s perspective. We do this to please our parents as well as to please God. This does not mean that parents are always correct so we have to obey them unconditionally. Their thinking and value may be different from ours, their mental strength may decline due to old age, and their lives may also deviate from God, but none of this allows us to despise them. We should treat our parents with kindness and filial piety, and commemorate their hard work in bringing us up. The greatest filial piety to our parents is not merely to provide for them with abundant material conditions, but to walk in humility on the path that God has ordained, and respect our parents, listen to their words, and help them not to deviate from God’s way when growing old. Together you and your parents will have an abundant spiritual life in God.

 
PRAYER:

Pray for God to help you to respect and obey your parents more, and be a humble listener of your parents. Try hard to obey their wisdom teachings, be compassionate to their weaknesses, and never contempt. Pray for God to strengthen your faith, be a good testimony to your parents, and strive to walk with them on the path God ordained.

 

HYMN:

Humble King – youtu.be/YV_3l6Ng5lA

 

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