Daily devotion of July 22nd

Devotional writing:
Proverbs 21: 9-10 (KJV):
9 It is better to dwell in a corner of the roof than to have a woman fight in a large house.
10 The soul of the wicked yearns for evil: his neighbor finds no favor in his eyes.

Proverbs 21: 9-10 (AMP):
9 It is better to live in a corner of the roof (on the flat oriental roof, exposed to all types of weather) than in a house shared with an annoying, quarrelsome and circumspect woman.
10 The soul or life of the wicked craves and seeks evil; his neighbor finds no favor in his eyes.

Designed for the day
Verse 9 - In ancient Israel, houses were built with flat roofs surrounded by a low protective wall to prevent falls. The roof was considered the best part of the house because it was spacious and cool. It was used as a special room. It was on the roofs of their houses that the people of ancient Israel maintained trade relations, met friends, hosted special guests, prayed, watched, did ads, built cabins, slept in the summer and put the dead before burial. This proverb says that living in a corner of the roof exposed to bad winter weather would be preferable to share a house with a nagging and quarrelsome person! Choosing a spouse is one of the most important decisions we will make in life and which can result in much joy or pain. As a man or woman of God, we must seek God carefully when choosing a spouse, as we saw on Day 122 and Day 166. That is why it is so important to seek God diligently about this decision. We should never go in without much prayer. Hurrying into a marriage can be disastrous. This happens sometimes when people just let their emotions to dominate. "Feeling in love" is not the measure for entering into a permanent relationship. If our emotions and our mind (our soul) have not been purified, we can be misled by them. Our feelings of love can truly be lust. The definition of love is "God is love".

What this world calls love is truly lust, since it is built on what the other person does for me and not on what I can do for him or her. If a person fails to keep the end of the agreement, divorce occurs because the offended spouse is no longer satisfied. This is the attitude of the so-called "love" of the world. God, however, loves without receiving back. His love is forgiving and patient. His love is kind and gentle. His love waits and makes sacrifices for the other. This is the character needed in both companions to make a marriage work. None of us really know how to love until we experience and practice the love of God. 1 Corinthians 13 gives us a good definition of true love similar to Christ. The word "charity" is the King James Version term for love. "Charity" in this chapter we can see if we pass the test of possessing true love.

Verse 10 - The evil seek the opposite of God's will. They like to really do what is evil. They are completely selfish and without regard for anyone except themselves. If you've ever lived alongside a greedy or greedy person, or alongside a haughty or biased person, you know that the wicked are difficult neighbors. You can never satisfy them. While there is simply no communion between darkness and light, good and evil; however, we are called to pray for those around us who are evil so that they may know Jesus as their Savior.

Devotional prayer for the day
Dear Heavenly Father, I am grateful for all the guidelines you have given us in this wonderful book of Proverbs. Help me listen to the warnings and apply the wisdom I find in these pages. Lord, I pray that I will walk like a devoted woman so as to be a blessing for all those around me. Forgive me when I can't be kind or impatient with people. I can apply your love, wisdom and kindness to all my daily affairs. Lord, draw the lost into our neighborhood with your saving grace. Use me to witness them. I am claiming their souls for your kingdom. I ask for these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.