the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Day by Day Devotional - Year 5 of 5
Proverbs 21:1-14
Many people think they can satisfy God’s demands by offering Him from time to time the "sacrifice" of good works. They claim to atone for a life of sin by observing certain religious ceremonies. This is a fatal delusion. Only one thing is pleasing to the LORD: the habitual practice of what is right and just (v. 3), but this can only be done by the righteous man, that, is the one whom God has made righteous by justifying him. Up to his conversion, every man is characterised by his wicked heart. His innermost desires are turned towards evil; his life revolves round himself and he has no real love for his neighbour (v. 10) or true pity for poor people (v. 13). These feelings can sometimes be disguised by human kindness or confused with natural feeling (an unbeliever can be "good-hearted" or show off his own righteousness: v. 2). In fact true goodness only has its source in God and has been shown perfectly only in Christ. V. 12 leads us to Him. He was the only Righteous One (cf. Job 34:17) and because of this He alone has the right to judge (John 5:27-30). He carefully considers the house of the wicked and, if He finds no repentance there, He will overthrow it (v. 12; Psalms 37:35-36).
