Proverbs is purely practical godliness. It clearly gives us wisdom for our day to day life. It’s advisable to read at least one chapter of Proverbs on a daily basis; month after month. This will give us heavenly wisdom for our practical life and surely keep us out from stumbling. In today’s devotion we are looking at the most prevalent problem that is happening around us and if we are not careful, we will also be a party to it. Let’s look carefully what the Word of God says to us.

Godlessness of end times:

Godlessness is a character; prevalent in the end times. As we read the Prophets and the Apostles they have warned about this in the assembly of Old and New. This is what we see around us.
2Ti 3:5 NKJV  having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!. 
 

Godlessness and self-righteousness goes together. This is happening simply due to disobedience to God's Word. People are not willing to obey God but try to cover that disobedience with some kind of outward actions.
 

Let us understand this from the life of King Saul.
1Sa 15:22-23  So Samuel said: "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king."

God send Prophet Samuel to anoint Saul as the King over Israel (1Sam 15:1). Then God gives him instructions about Amalek.
1Sa 15:3 Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.' "
 

This was a clear command given to Saul by God. But he acted otherwise. 
1Sa 15:9  But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.
 

God rejects Saul and sends Samuel to speak to Saul about his folly.
1Sa 15:14 But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?"

He did not obey God in destroying the Amalekites completely. Instead he kept the best out of it. See what God says to Saul through Samuel:
1Sa 15:22-23 So Samuel said: "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king."

A great lesson to learn! Obedience is better than sacrifice.

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During the time of Jesus’ ministry there was stiff opposition from the Pharisees and Sadducees. These religious leaders kept an outward form of religion. But they were far away from simple obedience to God. 
Mat 23:23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone
.Let us learn our lessons wisely.

Prayer:

God Keep me from falling into the

deception of having a form of godliness without power!!!
In Jesus name Amen. 

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