Today’s scripture: Proverbs 3:21-26 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Robert Ferguson):
Do you want a peaceful, godly life? In today’s scripture, we’re encouraged to always use sound judgment and discernment. Discernment is allowing God to direct our paths. We are told that to cherish and celebrate these traits will lead to long abundant life.
It is so easy to become distracted by things that are not of God. One of my biggest personal struggles is worry. Many may see me as a happy-go-lucky guy that isn’t rattled by much, but the truth is I worry a lot. I worry about my job, my car, my family, my health, and my future. There are times when sleep eludes me. It’s as if when I lay my head down to rest my brain begins to shift into overdrive. Perhaps you’ve felt the same.
But we just read that if we keep our minds trained on the things of God, our sleep will be peaceful and our worries will seem unimportant. I have learned that my worry will not change the outcome of my situations. Learning from mistakes and asking God for guidance is a much better way to see results.
We have been given the tools to compete and win in this world. As with all good tools, though, they need to be continually sharpened. How do we keep our tools of sound judgment and discernment sharp? We stay close to God and continually train ourselves to hear God. When we begin each day with a time of connection with God (quiet time, Bible study, prayer) we are training our hearts and minds to stay focused on the things of God.
It’s easy to lose sight of what is important in this life. Staying in touch with God helps us to stay focused and on the right track.
Thought for the day: God will keep me safe by guiding my way.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. Use the item above as a starting point, or consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.