Be Still and Know Daily Bible Devotion

Proverbs 20:20
If you insult your father or mother, your light will be snuffed out in total darkness.
Family relationships were of central concern to the writer of Proverbs. The incredibly harsh language that he uses in this particular proverb shows his complete contempt for those who insulted their parents. No punishment was too great for those who were able to sink to such depths. Later in Proverbs the writer speaks with even greater passion: “The eye that mocks a father and despises a mother’s instructions will be plucked out by ravens of the valley and eaten by vultures” (Proverbs 30:17). The whole Bible speaks with one voice on this subject so it is not surprising that honouring parents was one of the Ten Commandments, standing alongside the commands not to murder, commit adultery or steal.
All family relationships will be strained at times, but nothing can change our fundamental responsibility to our parents. The commandment is followed by the promise that if you honour your father and mother: “then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12). That is to say, everything good follows from caring for your parents and showing them the respect that they deserve.
Every society handles family relationships differently. When I lived in India I had the amazing privilege of living with an Indian extended family. We lived, ate and worshipped as a three-generation family and that seemed to work well, although it would be misleading to suggest that there weren’t times of tension. In the West such living arrangements are relatively uncommon and that presents us with many challenges, particularly caring for elderly parents. This challenge has become even greater as people’s lifespans have increased. But the principle remains the same: caring for parents is a fundamental responsibility, however demanding it might be.
Question
In what way does the command to honour parents shape your life?
Prayer
Lord God our Father, we thank You for our parents. We praise You for every way in which they have blessed our lives, and ask You to help us to forgive them for the ways in which they let us down. Amen

Proverbs 19:28
A corrupt witness makes a mockery of justice; the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.
Justice is a persistent theme throughout the Bible, because it is one of the characteristics of God. He loves justice. This is beautifully described in Deuteronomy 32:4: “He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!” It is because of God’s love of justice that He gave His people a very clear framework of rules. The first five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch, gave the Israelites the law, which would guide every aspect of their lives. There were rules about the way in which they worshipped, but also about their relationships with one another and rules of hygiene. God is interested in every part of life and so the rules were comprehensive.
The Bible is clear that justice is fragile and needs to be carefully looked after. It can easily be perverted. The prophets showed particular concern about the evil of market traders tampering with their scales. By adjusting the scales in their favour, they were able to defraud their customers with every sale, and the Lord hated it. The prophet Amos observed that they couldn’t wait for the Sabbath to be over so that they could get back to cheating the helpless. He wrote: “You measure out grain with dishonest measures and cheat the buyer with dishonest scales. And you mix the grain you sell with chaff swept from the floor” (Amos 8:5-6). There was no end to their deviousness and the prophet said that the result of their unjust actions was that God was not willing to hear their prayers. He detested their worship because it simply didn’t ring true.
God still loves justice and so we have the responsibility to fight for justice whenever it is under attack. Injustice happens to some extent in every country, but laws have been developed over the centuries to ensure that many forms of exploitation are now illegal. However, the fact is that we trade internationally and so we need to be aware of the exploitation that is still rife in many parts of the world. We may enjoy buying cheap products but when they are produced through the abuse of vulnerable workers, we can be sure that God is deeply unhappy. Justice is not an optional extra for Christians but a fundamental part of our obedience to Christ.
Question
In what ways are you working for justice?
Prayer
God of justice, help me to stand up for those who are unjustly treated in this country and throughout the world. Amen

Proverbs 19:18
Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives.
The word discipline has a harsh ring to it, but the writer of the Proverbs is clear that it is absolutely essential for every parent to know how to do it. He saw discipline as the way in which parents show love to their children. In Proverbs 22:6 he wrote: “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.” His many references to the use of the rod suggest that the methods of disciplining have changed considerably, but the principle of discipline holds good. Every child needs to have the security of knowing what the rules are, and someone around them who will ensure that they are followed. A failure to put in place clear boundaries is, in the opinion of the writer, a sign of hatred towards children.
I remember talking with a friend about his teenage years. His parents allowed him to do whatever he wanted and, at the time, he thought this was great. It stood in marked contrast to those around him, who had to follow some very clear rules. My friend was allowed to come back home at any time at night, and to drink as much as he wanted. When he started using drugs, his parents didn’t raise any great objections. Slowly it dawned on him that they gave him this much freedom because they didn’t care. They didn’t love him and this led him into a time of deep depression.
Discipline may not sound attractive, but it is actually the clearest expression of love. The writer to the Hebrews talks about the way in which God disciplines us. He writes: “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way” (Hebrews 12:11).
If you are a parent then may God give you great wisdom, gentleness and love as you discipline your children. If you are not, then I urge you to pray for those of us who have this awesome responsibility. And all of us need to be ready to receive God’s discipline, understanding that He only ever says “no” to us because He loves us and wants us to thrive.
Question
In what ways has God disciplined you?
Prayer
Loving Father, thank You that You love me so much that You are willing to discipline me. Amen

Proverbs 18:4
Wise words are like deep waters; wisdom flows from the wise like a bubbling brook.
If you look at the history of many communities, you will find that they originally grew up because they were close to a river, brook or spring. The source of water gave them life and here Proverbs says that it is just the same with wisdom. Wisdom brings life wherever it goes and so wise people will centre their lives on it. I love the straightforwardness of the writer in this whole chapter, who sees a sharp distinction between wisdom and foolishness, life and death. Fools live a life that is firmly built on laziness and selfishness, and everything they do ends in disaster. But wise people, whose lives are built on a reverence for God, will live lives characterised by love, understanding and generosity.
We need to seek out the people whose wisdom will invigorate and strengthen us as we live for God. They are not necessarily people with great knowledge, but they are people who know God well. They may not be leaders or have any prominent role, but their faithful walk with the Lord has given them a depth of understanding of how God works. The result is that their wise words help us to understand more about how we should live. Wisdom in the book of Proverbs is always intensely practical. It shows us how to live life to the full. Charles H Spurgeon, the famous Victorian Baptist preacher wrote: “Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great as the knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.”
May God help us all to seek His wisdom like a babbling brook, so that it brings life to us and to all those around us.
Question
Who are the wise people in your life?
Prayer
Loving God, I thank You that You are the source of all wisdom. Help me to be humble enough to receive Your wisdom and to be willing to share it with others. Amen

Proverbs 17:5
Those who mock the poor insult their Maker; those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished.
Every society has poor people, but that certainly doesn’t mean that we should be unconcerned for the poor. The opposite is true. The whole Bible encourages us to take the needs of the poor seriously and do everything we can to support them. Leviticus gave some very practical advice to ensure that the poor were helped. “When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. It is the same with your grape crop—do not strip every last bunch of grapes from the vines, and do not pick up the grapes that fall to the ground. Leave them for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the LORD your God” (Leviticus 19:9-10).
The verse in Proverbs is particularly concerned about those who look down on the poor and who even mock them. This isn’t merely rude but an insult to God, who will ensure that those who rejoice at the misfortune of others are punished. We need to show respect to the poor for the powerful reason that they, like us, have been made in the image of God. They have infinite worth and are loved by God just as much as we are.
God has given us all a responsibility to care for the poor and so we all need to discover ways to do that. We may be able to give specific financial or other practical help to poor people that we know. There are also many organisations that we can support – from food banks and debt advice services to charities that work in developing countries, many of which face horrifying levels of poverty. There is action that all of us can take. Because of our love for a God who cares passionately for all, we need to find our own way of responding.
Question
How can you support poor people in your own community?
Prayer
Lord God, forgive me for those times when I have overlooked the needs of poor people. Please show me what I can do to help. Amen