#proverbs 10:1

by William MacDonald

Devotional for October 31st

“A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.” - Proverbs 10:1

What determines whether a son turns out to be wise or foolish? What are the factors that determine whether he becomes a John or a Judas?

Parental training is certainly one important consideration. This includes a thorough grounding in the sacred Scriptures. The sanctifying influence of the Word cannot be overemphasized.

It includes a home that is fortified by prayer. The mother of an outstanding evangelical preacher attributed his preservation from moral and doctrinal evil to the fact that she “wore out her knees in prayer for him.”

It means the use of firm discipline so that the child learns to obey and to submit to authority. We hear loud outcries today against strict discipline, but more lives have been wrecked by indulgence than by the use of the rod.

It means providing the child with the security of knowing he is loved. Discipline must be administered as an act of love and not of temper.

It means that the parents must provide a living example of what they profess. Hypocrisy in religion has proved a stumbling block to many children of Christian parents.

But then the child’s will is also involved. When he leaves home, he is free to make his own decisions. Often children brought up in the same home under the same conditions turn out differently.

Two facts of life have to be faced. One is that most people have to get a taste of the world for themselves. The other is that most people prefer to learn through shame and disgrace rather than through wise counsel.

Wise parents do not pressure their children into making a profession of faith. If children want to come to the Lord, they should be encouraged. But if they are talked into a false profession, then abandon that profession in later years, they are harder to win for Christ.

DAILY DEVOTIONAL Sunday, November 11, 2018

“I have been young, and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his seed begging for bread,” said the psalmist King David in his old age. (Psalm 37:25) Our heavenly Father loves the righteous and sincerely cares for each of them. In his Word, the Bible, he urges his genuine worshipers to, “Seek Jehovah, all you humble of the land, who carry out his judgment; seek…

"A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son brings grief to his mother." (Proverbs 10:1)

A child who lives a life centered in God brings great joy to his earthly father as well as his heavenly Father.  But a child who is foolish and lives only according to the flesh brings sorrow to his earthly mother and his heavenly Mother.

It is far better to live a life of love centered on doing the will of God than one in which you only chase after earthly treasure and human acceptance.  When you live according to God's will you have clarity, understanding and wisdom. When you live according to the flesh you have more anxiety, concerns, and difficulties.  You may gain acceptance and riches but they are short lived. They do not last forever as heavenly riches do.

Seek heaven in all that you do and be pleasing to your heavenly Mother and Father and bring joy to your earthly mother and father.

Prayer: