Today's Readings: New Testament -
Matthew 24:1-14
James 4:11-17
Old Testament -
Ecclesiastes 7:1-14
Jeremiah 19-22
Click on Text Links to Read Online
Focus Verses: James 4:13-15
13 Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."
Insight:
There are two ways a person can make a mistake in making plans and deciding what to do. The first is to be so afraid of failing and making the wrong choice that you do nothing. The second is to be so self-confident and certain that you run straight down the wrong path.
The better way is to seek God and move forward in humility. Pray and hold your plan up to the light of God's word. Seek the advice of others who have life experience, a thorough knowledge of Scripture, and reverence for God. Make the best and most informed choices that can. Do what you believe is honoring to God. Act in the faith that God will bless and lead you.
Response & Action:
I will give prayerful consideration to the directions I take and the commitments I make. I will hold every plan, idea, opportunity, and invitation up to the light of Scripture, and ask God to show me the ways he would have me go.
I will not be idle or so hesitant to take action that I am unwilling to move forward in faith. I will not move forward unless I believe that the steps I am taking are consistent with the clear guidance God has given me. I will give my best energy toward being the kind of person who lives by faith and seeks to honor Christ in all things. I can have confidence to try any good endeavor and path that does not compromise or contradict following Jesus.
O God, you are my God and I will ever praise you. I will seek you in the morning, and I will learn to walk in your ways. Lead me step by step and I will follow you all of my days. Amen.
Spiritual Formation Verses: Proverbs 16:8-9
8 Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice. 9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
Resources:
Knowing God's Will: Finding Guidance for Personal Decisions
by M. Blaine Smith
