Trust God’s Wisdom, Not My Feelings

In review of Proverbs 3:5-7 it tells me to “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil” (NLT).

Today’s passage Proverbs 3 is part of my life’s verse. It says for me to trust in the Lord with all my heart. To never rely on what I think I know. To remember the Lord in everything I do, and then he will show me the right way. I should never let myself think that I’m wiser than I really am; I’m to simply obey the Lord and refuse to do wrong.

So when important decisions come, it's often hard to trust anyone and including God. But I must realize that God knows what is best for me. He is a much better judge of what I need, even above myself. Therefore I must learn to trust him completely in every choice I need to make. I should not omit careful thinking or belittle my God-given ability to reason; but I should not just trust in my own ideas to the exclusion of all others. I must not be wise in my own eyes. I should always be willing to listen to and be corrected by God's Word and wise counselors. I need to learn to bring my decisions to God in prayer then; use the Bible as my guide and follow God's leading. He will direct my paths by both guiding and protecting me. 

To receive God's guidance, I must seek God's will in all I do. This means turning every area of life over to him. I need to examine my values and priorities. What is important to me? Where does God fall in this list? In what areas have I failed to acknowledge him? It's the areas where I attempt to restrict or ignore his influence that will cause me grief. I need to make him a vital part of everything I do; then he will guide me because I'll be working to accomplish his purposes.

Often I’ve had the feeling that something was so very, very right, but then when I did it, it ended up very wrong. There are a lot of things that are wrong that feel so right at the moment. A quick decision that seemed harmless at the time leaves lasting issues.

To experience fewer dead ends and failures, I need to hear what Proverbs 3:5-7 tells me: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil” (NLT).

If I really want God’s blessing on my life, I have to depend on God’s wisdom and not what my feelings say or what my gut says. Trust in the Lord and not on my own understanding.

To get God’s wisdom I pray. I talk to Him, and I let him talk to me by reading His Word, the Bible. James 1:5 tells me, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (NIV).

God doesn’t want me to make foolish mistakes. He doesn’t want me to hit dead ends or go through failure after failure. God wants me to succeed. He wants me to make wise decisions with my time, money and relationships.

It’s not like I’m waiting on him for his help. He’s actually waiting on me! God says, “Hey! I’m here. I’ll give you wisdom, and I’ll give it generously. I’m not grudging about it. I want to make you wise. I’ve just got to ask.”

If I want to be blessed, I’ve got to get God’s wisdom. And if I want God’s wisdom, I’ve got to continuing getting in His Word.

In summary, learn to trust in the Lord with all my heart. Never rely on what I think I know. Remember to include the Lord in everything I do, then he will show me the right way to go. I should never think highly of myself than I am. Simply obey the Lord and refuse to do wrong. After all God knows what is best for me. I must learn to trust him complete in everything. I need to be willing to listen to and be corrected by God's Word and wise counselors. Bring decisions to God in prayer, use his Word as a guide and following His leading. To receive His guidance all I need to do is to turn every area of my life over to him and seek his will in what I do. 

This morning Father I pray for your wisdom and guidance in what I do, my work, my leadership and my interactions with others. I ask this through your Son Jesus name, amen.

Let Faith, Not Fear, Rule My Heart

In review of Matthew 20:31 it says,“Many of the people scolded them and told them to be quiet. But they shouted even louder, ‘Son of David, have mercy on us!'”

Today’s verse is from Matthew 20:31 where Jesus heals two blind beggars who shouted out to Jesus. The crowd told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”o 

When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, the blind beggars began shouting. These blind men could see that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, while the religious leaders who witnessed Jesus' miracles were blind to his identity, refusing to open their eyes to the truth. Seeing with my eyes doesn't guarantee seeing with my heart. Also, although Jesus was concerned about the coming events in Jerusalem, he demonstrated to the disciples what he had just told them about service by stopping to care for the blind men. 

If I’m going to make a fresh start with faith in my life, I have to face my fears. I shouldn’t let them control me! Fear has an incredible ability to paralyze my potential, to keep me from launching out and having faith in my life.

When I choose fear over faith, it makes me skeptical, I’m afraid of trying anything new when I’m afraid. It makes me selfish, I’m afraid to commit to God and to others. It makes me short-sighted, I focus on the past and not on the future.

The blind men faced a fear that is familiar: the fear of rejection. They knew that to shout out at Jesus in that crowd wasn’t the right thing to do. They knew that people would look down on them for it, but they were desperate, and knew that Jesus Christ was the only one who could help them.

And look what happened: When they shouted out to Jesus, everyone around him told them, “Don’t do that. Be quiet. Don’t make a scene. Surely Jesus Christ isn’t interested in you. He has more important things to do.”

The enemy whispers things like that to me. When that opportunity for faith comes into my heart, thoughts like, “God surely wouldn’t be interested in you” or “Don’t make a scene” or “What would people think of you?” keep me from having faith. When I see an opportunity to change, there are all kinds of shouts from inside and around me that tell me not to rock the boat.

But God is asking me to do something greater than I’ve ever done before: He’s asking me to depend on him completely. This will feel a little bit scary? Of course it is. And when God asks something of me, I have a choice. Am I going to fall back on my fear and stay the way I am? Or am I going to tame my fear and step forward in faith?

In summary, my fear will try to silence me, however, I need to push beyond this and ask Jesus to have mercy on me. Face my fears and not let them control me. Also, no matter how busy I am, I need to make time to stop and serve others when they need it. When the opportunity for faith comes into my heart, I shouldn't let the enemy talk me out of it. God is asking me to depend on him completely. I have a choice, fall back on fear r step forward in faith.

As I reflect on this today, I know I still look for others approval and confirmation. I tend to find it easier to play it safe than risk. This morning I pray that God would help me receive his protection from what others think by my trust in him. I also ask for his wisdom and guidance for my day, my work tasks, my leadership and my interaction with others. I ask this through your Son Jesus name, amen.

God’s Solution for My Failures

In review of Colossians 2:14 it reminds me that  “[God] canceled the debt, which listed all the rules we failed to follow. He took away that record with its rules and nailed it to the cross” (NCV).

Today’s verse from Colossians 2:14 reminds me that He canceled the record of the charges against me and took it away by nailing it to the cross.

The record that was canceled contained the legal demands of the Old Testament law. The law opposed me by its demands for payment for my sin. Although no one can be saved by merely keeping that record, the moral truths and principles in the Old Testament still teach and guide me today.

I can enjoy my new life in Christ because I have joined him in his death and resurrection. My evil desires, my bondage to sin, and my love of sin died with him. Now, joining him in his resurrection life, I may have unbroken fellowship with God and freedom from sin. My debt for sin has been paid in full; my sins are swept away and forgotten by God; and I can be clean and new.

I blow it from time to time. I don’t have to live with guilt, but I do have to live with my mistakes.

The Bible never hides this truth. It is painfully honest about the failures of its heroes. God saved the world from flood through a man named Noah—who then got drunk, naked, and blew it all. Moses led the children of Israel through the Red Sea and into freedom,yet his anger kept him out of the Promised Land. King David was a man after God’s heart but also had an affair and murdered the woman’s husband so he wouldn’t be discovered.

What I’m learning is that God realizes my frailty. If he only used perfect people, the Bible would be a pretty short book. But, God has a solution for my failures: grace.

The Bible says, “[God] canceled the debt, which listed all the rules we failed to follow. He took away that record with its rules and nailed it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14 NCV).

When I look at all those failures in the Bible, I get a clear picture. Just like those heroes of the Bible, I am a trophy of God’s grace. My primary witness to the world around me isn’t all the great things I do for God. It’s how I handle mistakes I’ve made. Do I mope or do I revel in the grace of God?

People want to meet a God who turns failures into triumphs. People want to meet a God who can transform the lives of broken people.

The amazing part of God’s grace isn’t just his power to forgive. It’s also the strength he gives me when I start over.

In summary, he canceled the record of charges against me. He took it away by nailing it to the cross. My new life in Christ comes because I joined him in his death and resurrection. By joining him in his resurrection life, I now have unbroken fellowship with God and freedom from sin. My debt for sin has been paid in full. God realizes my frailty and has a solution for my failures. It's called grace. My primary witness to the world around me isn't all the great things I do for God. It's how I handle mistakes I've made by reveling in the grace of God. I need to help others meet a God who can turn failures into triumph, and can transform the lives of those who are broken. The amazing part of God's grace isn't just his power to forgive, but the strength he gives to start over. 

God I think you for your solution to my failures. Today I want to learn to live and help others see the grace you provide. Thank you for the new starts you give each day. Today I ask you for your wisdom and guidance for my day, my task and responsibilities, my leadership and my interaction with others. I pray this through you Son Jesus name, amen.

Learning To Take a Step of Faith in Spite of My Fear

In review of Acts 4:29, it says, “Lord, take notice of the threats they have made, and allow us, your servants, to speak your message with all boldness” (GNT).

Today’s verse is Acts 4:29, in it the disciples are praying and ask the Lord, to take note of their threats and to help enable them to speak the word with complete confidence.

What I’m learning is that boldness is not the same as reckless impulsiveness. Boldness requires me to have the courage to press on through my fears and to do what I know is right. To be more bold, I can follow the example of the disciples, I can (1) pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to give me courage, (2) look for opportunities in my family and neighborhood to talk about Christ, (3) realize that rejection, social discomfort, and embarrassment are not necessarily persecution, and (4) start where I am by being bolder in smaller ways. 

Everyone has fears. Too often, though, we let them rule over our lives and stop us from taking a stand for what we know God wants us to do.

Like Daniel in the lion’s den, I face people and situations that threaten to destroy me and my witness for Christ. But the choice is mine. Will I succumb to my fears, or will I stand up for God in spite of those fears?

If I want to overcome fears that drag me down, I need to clearly understand the benefits of choosing to stand up for what God wants. Most importantly, I need to see that doing what God wants me to do is a clear victory over the fear in my life.

Because fear grows. Every time I give in to fear, it becomes more intense.

Fear grows every time I refuse to do what God wants me to do. Eventually, I’ll feel cornered.

So what do I do? Follow the lead of early Christians. I’m certainly not the first generation of Christ followers to face fear. Early believers faced all kinds of persecution. The book of Acts shows me a bit about how they stood up to this fear. As Peter and John proclaimed Jesus boldly in Acts 4, they came up against fierce opposition.

So they prayed, “Lord, take notice of the threats they have made, and allow us, your servants, to speak your message with all boldness” (Acts 4:29 GNT).

The answer to my fear isn’t to give in to it. It’s to move forward boldly in spite of it. I stand up to the fear. Fear doesn’t respond to logic, so my only chance to get rid of the fear is to trust God and face it.

Never forget: God won’t part the water in front of me until I take my first step (reference how God did this for Elijah and Elisha in 2 Kings 2:8). I take a step of faith, and then God shows me the path. That won’t happen if I stand wrapped up in my fear. I should take a step in faith today, and watch my fear crumble in the process as God guides my steps.

In summary pray for confidence and move forward with boldness. Boldness requires me to have courage to press on through my fears and to do what I know is  right. Pray for the power of the Holy Spirit, look for opportunities, realize that rejection, social discomfort, and embarrassment are not persecution. Start where I am by being bolder in smaller ways. Understand the benefits of choosing to stand up for what God wants. See that doing what he wants me to do is a clear victory over the fear in my life. Fear become more intense every time I give into it. The answer to my fear isn't to give in to it. It's to move forward boldly in spite of it. Also I need to take the first step, as God won't part the water until I take it. When I do, he will show me the path. 

Fear is something I face all the time. I keep holding back, waiting for the right conditions. I need to take small bold steps each day to push beyond fear. You have promised if I do, you will show me the next step. With this, I pray this morning for me be bold when I face any kind of fear today. I ask for your wisdom and guidance in my work, my leadership and my interaction with others. I pray this in your Son Jesus name, amen.

Using Failure to Learn and Grow

In review of Proverbs 28:13 it reminds me that “A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful” (TLB).

Proverbs 28:13

I’ll never succeed in life if I try to hide my sins or mistakes. Confess them and give them up; then God will show mercy.

It's natural to hide or overlook my mistakes. But it is hard to learn from a mistake if I don't acknowledge making it. What good is it if it doesn't teach me something? To learn from an error I need to admit it, analyze it, and make adjustments so that it doesn't happen again. Everybody makes mistakes, but only fools repeat them. I don't always need to have to be right to feel good about myself. I need to be willing to reconsider, to admin when I'm wrong and to change my plans when needed. The first step toward forgiveness is confession.

Failure is usually thought of a negative. But wise people have learned how to take advantage of failure. They learn from it. They use it as an education. One of the primary tools that God uses in my life to make me what he wants me to be, is failure.

So how can failure be good? God uses failure to educate me. Mistakes are simply learning experiences. Some lessons can only be learned through failure. The Bible says, “A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful” (Proverbs 28:13 TLB). If I’m not making mistakes, I’m not learning. If I’m not taking any risks, I’m not growing. The freedom from the fear of failure is the freedom to grow.

God uses failure to motivate me. “Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways” (Proverbs 20:30 GNT). Often I change when I feel the heat, not when I see the light. When I fail, maybe God's trying to get my attention to move in a new direction.

God uses failure to build my character. “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character” (Romans 5:3-4 TLB). Failure has a way of softening my heart. It helps me grow up and be mature. It makes me sensitive to others. It makes me less judgmental and helps me be a little more sympathetic to people around me who are hurting.

Failure doesn’t automatically grow my character. It only builds it when I respond to it correctly and learn from it.

Bottom Line:

Admit your mistakes and learn from them. Then your will be successful.

What this means to me:

If I refuse to admit my mistake, I can never be successful.

In summary, success comes from admitting my sins or mistakes. If I confess them and give them up, then God will show me mercy. I don't always need to be right to feel good about myself. Wise people have learned now to take advantage of failure. They learn from it. It's one of the tools God uses to make me what he wants me to be. So God uses failure to educate me, to motivate me, and to build my character. But it will only build me if I respond to it correctly and learn from it.

Through today’s study and time, I believe God is preparing me for something coming up, but also to think back about things that have happened. What can I learn from them? Have I responded to them correctly? This morning Father I pray you help me think clearly about events in my life. Are there things recently I need to re-think and learn from? Also help me to respond if something does occur. I also ask you for your wisdom and guidance for my day, for my tasks, for my leadership and to help me respond correctly to those around me. I pray this through your Son Jesus name, amen.