Just reading a verse, or a chapter of the Bible a day won’t keep the devil away anymore than an apple a day will really keep the doctor or dentist away. However, reading the word of God for the purpose of growth and understanding will greatly aid you in spiritual growth, wisdom and discernment, which will help you not buy into the lies and schemes of the devil.

As D.L. Moody once said, "This book (the Bible) will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book." And one of the best places to begin reading in the Bible is in Proverbs. The purpose of the book is to impart wisdom for dealing with life. Solomon gives us five benefits to the reader: 1. to learn reverence and obedience to God comes from the heart (1:2a), 2. to gain discernment to the eye (1:2b), 3. to develop alertness in our walk (1:3), 4. to develop discretion and purpose in life (1:4) 5. To develop keenness of mind (1:6).

There are 31 chapters in Proverbs, one for each day of the month. So while you may not keep the devil away by reading a chapter of Proverbs a day, you can certainly be prepared for whatever he brings and learn how to deal with him successfully on a daily basis. With that in mind, Solomon gives us the key to the book and a great place to start, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge..." (Proverbs 1:7)

Dr. William Burnham is a pastor at Point of Grace Church in Covington. He can be reached at burnhamw@charter.net.