The One Year Wisdom for Women Devotional: 365 Devotions through the Proverbs by Debbi Bryson Read Free Book Online Page A

captivated by your love.

    One Year Bible Reading
    Exodus 4:1–5:21; Matthew 18:1-20; Psalm 22:19-31; Proverbs 5:15-21

January 28

    Slave of Sin
          An evil man is held captive by his own sins;
               they are ropes that catch and hold him.
          He will die for lack of self-control;
               he will be lost because of his incredible folly.
    PROVERBS 5:22-23
    The clear moral of this proverb is never to underestimate the power of sin to make you a slave. It can hold you hostage. Listen to this powerful description: “Sin will take you farther than you ever wanted to go. It will leave you longer than you ever wanted to stay, and it will cost you more than you ever wanted to pay.”
    But lest we get a mental picture of someone else we know whose sin is obvious and we shake our heads and say, “Yep, that poor person is ruining her life,” we need to be conscious of our own sin. Sin is subtle. You may not be wasting your life at the bar, but maybe you are harboring pride and resentment. Don’t kid yourself. That kind of sin can tie us in knots too.
    When evangelist Billy Sunday was preparing for a crusade in a large city, he wrote a letter asking the mayor of that city for the names of individuals who had spiritual problems and needed help and prayer. How surprised Billy was when the mayor sent him the entire city telephone directory.
    “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, NKJV ), but “if we confess our sin, he is faithful to forgive and to cleanse” (1 John 1:9, paraphrase). Now, that’s freedom.
    Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!
    Can you visualize the grip sins can have? They are “ropes that catch and hold.” Let’s take a moment and be honest and specific. The sin of bitterness and resentment, for instance, can captivate your thought life. You find yourself reliving a hurt over and over and over. Do you see how driven and enslaved it has made you? Cut those ropes! By the power of God’s grace, cut those ropes! Today, every time those thoughts come to your mind, will you ask God to help you forgive and forget—and set you free? Ask, and you shall receive .

    One Year Bible Reading
    Exodus 5:22–7:25; Matthew 18:21–19:12; Psalm 23:1-6; Proverbs 5:22-23

January 29

    Financial Foolishness
          My child, if you co-sign a loan for a friend
               or guarantee the debt of someone you hardly know—
          if you have trapped yourself by your agreement
               and are caught by what you said—
          quick, get out of it if you possibly can!
               You have placed yourself at your friend’s mercy.
          Now swallow your pride;
               go and beg to have your name erased.
          Don’t put it off. Do it now!
               Don’t rest until you do.
    PROVERBS 6:1-4
    The topic of today’s Wisdom for Women is the danger of getting entangled in other people’s financial dealings. If we can learn any lessons from the financial crisis we are currently in, both publicly and personally, we can see that we have not been wise. It’s risky business to back up someone else when they are involved in risky business and can’t stand on their own. Oh, if Capitol Hill and Wall Street and those who live on our street would listen and heed God’s wisdom as stated in today’s proverb!
    So, ladies, what can we learn? We need to be less dependent on credit for ourselves, our kids, and others. If we can’t save up for something we want, we need to truly assess if we really need it.
    When my husband and I bought our first home, we had no one who could give us a down payment or cosign for us. The first house we tried to buy fell through because we didn’t qualify. In retrospect, it was a blessing. It was a house in an area that wasn’t good for us, and it was a payment we really couldn’t afford. So even though at the time it felt like a bad thing, it was