MEMORISE:
Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Psalm 25:4
READ: Proverbs 9:7-9
7 He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.
8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.
9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
MESSAGE
Teaching becomes a herculean task when a teacher is confronted with stubborn students. To be unteachable in the things of God is a very dangerous state for anyone to be in. Proverbs 29:1 says:
“He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.”
Pharaoh found himself in this state and he did not end well. God warned him several times with at least ten plagues, yet he hardened his heart until he met his waterloo at the Red Sea. We also see a similar scenario in the case of Haman, who was warned by his wife and friends to desist from persecuting Mordecai, but he would not listen until he was executed on the same gallows he had built for Mordecai (Esther 6-7). I decree over someone using this devotional today: the pit which your enemies dug for you shall swallow them up in Jesus’ Name.
Unlike Pharaoh and Haman, a teachable fellow is a pleasant student to have. A receptive heart is blessed for many reasons, some of which are indicated in today’s Bible reading. The Bible says wisdom is the principal thing and so we should go out to get wisdom and understanding, even if it costs us all we have (Proverbs 4:7). In other words, it is no use if a man possesses the whole world but lacks wisdom and understanding. The question now is, how can we get wisdom and understanding? Proverbs 9:9 says:
“Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.”
This verse is saying that a wise man acquires wisdom by receiving instructions, and the understanding of an upright man is increased through teaching. Of course, the one being taught must have a teachable heart, as I is rightly said “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t force it to drink.” Therefore, the first blessing of a teachable heart is that it increases in wisdom. This wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord, which is manifested as deep reverence for God’s word (Proverbs 1:7). When someone who fears God is taught God’s word, it will restrain him or her from doing things against God’s will. For a heart to be teachable in God’s word, it must be meek. The Spirit of God makes this clear in Psalm 25:9, which says:
“The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.”
This trait, clearly demonstrated in today’s memory verse, made David a man after God’s heart. Anyone who desires to have a special place in God’s heart must also develop a teachable heart through meekness. Do you have a teachable heart?
PRAYER POINT:
Father, please give me a teachable heart today and save me from the destruction that comes from a hardened heart.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Joshua 12-14
Ezekiel 20:1-13
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 3: TRUST AND OBEY.
1. When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
o Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
2. Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.
3. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.
4. But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.
5. Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.
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