the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Daily Devotionals
Day by Day Devotional - Year 3 of 5
Proverbs 15:1-15
The way to soothe our own feelings of anger, so we learnt yesterday, is by patience and prayer. Here now is a remedy for the anger of others: this sovereign balm is called "a soft answer". The humble and peaceable reply given by Gideon to the men of Ephraim in Judges 8:1-3 was the right one to meet their feelings of irritation. And it was not the least of the victories of this man of faith. On the other hand, "a grievous word", as its name indicates, opens up a wound which it is then difficult to heal.
Let us now come to vv. 5, 10 and 12 (as well as vv. 31, 32). To have regard to reproof and to correction helps us to learn prudence. It is by weighing things up that we can avoid recurrence of trouble. Proverbs 13:24 (and Hebrews 12:6 in relation to God) has made it clear to us that our parents show their love to us by disciplining us! The secret of accepting reproof is the recognition that such discipline is inspired by true love and that it has "our profit" in view. Do not let us be like the scorner, who does not love the one who reproves him (v. 12).
"The prayer of the upright is his delight" v. 8 assures us. Uprightness is in fact the absence of our own will and complete submission to God’s thoughts, which will thus secure an answer to such a prayer (1 John 5:14-15).
