“Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.”
(Proverbs 3:5-6)
Reflection:
To ‘lean on our own understanding’ is to limit everything to the level of our perception. When life is painful we tend to fear that it will always be that way – or even worse. A good example of this is the account of the Israelites in the desert after the exodus from Egypt. No matter how much God did for them they never trusted Him for the next challenge.
So here we are urged to lift our eyes, to change our focus and enlarge our vision. The one who loves us and has called us to Himself is the Lord God Almighty. He is the all-powerful one; He is the one who is called ‘Love’; He is the one who at huge personal cost has invited us to become His daughters and His sons; He is the one who in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit has promised to be with us always. He is also the one who in any and every situation and circumstance knows the best way forward –
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
In every road on which we find ourselves, in every challenge we face, in every situation that threatens us, in every task we undertake, in every relationship in which we are involved – in fact ‘in all our ways’ – we need the Lord. Our first step is to acknowledge Him with His love and His power, and then to ask Him for His guidance, help and strength. The answer is then certain – He will become involved and He will take us forward and He will bless us.
The sooner we start with involving the Lord in our everyday lives, decisions and responses the more natural it will become if and when things get really challenging.
Response:
Whatever you do, feel or think today – ask the Lord to guide and help you.
Prayer:
Lord God my life is in Your hands and any merits that I might appear to have are in fact Your mercies. Please be with me and guide and help me through the light and the darkness, the days and the nights of my life – and help me to stay very close to You at all times. Amen.
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The Soaring Eagle 