Acknowledging God

Too often, we plan our day and traverse the course of it by relying on our human understanding. We feel stress, pressure, irritation, exasperation, and sometimes, even sheer panic at all we have to accomplish in one day. 

Our to-do list grows each day, as we add what we failed to complete yesterday. We attempt to squeeze in all of the activities, which we feel are necessary for us and our family.

This all changes once we determine to trust the Lord with our day. We submit our energy, resources and thoughts to Him; so that He can help us to accomplish the activities, which He ordained in our life (Ephesians 2:10). 

God directs all of our steps. He takes the mountains and valleys out of our day, and gives us a smooth road to follow. We no longer feel like each day is all up hill. We do not fear trials, because we know that God is in control. 

We consult our Father God before we start any project, and we serve Him with a submissive heart and complete devotion. He is always available to everyone who seeks His will for their life (1 Chronicles 28:9). 

As we listen attentively, we will hear God’s voice directing our steps all through the day (Isaiah 30:21). God promises to work out everything for our good, as we obey His will (Romans 8:28).

The Lord tells us where to go and what to do when we get there. All it takes is for us to realize that our life is not our own, but His; bought with the blood of Christ as a ransom for our sins (Jeremiah 42:3, 10:23; 1 Peter 1:18-19).

Prayer:

Father God, You do not find fault with us, and You give us Your wisdom any time we ask for it (James 1:5). There is no more anxiety about what we must accomplish with our day, because You hear our prayers as we rely only on You (Philippians 4:6).  

Remind us not to futilely spin our wheels attempting to accomplish our own will for our life. Help us to walk in Your Spirit and to obey His direction throughout the each day.

Thought for the Day:

God will establish our plans, if we consult His will about everything we do.  – Proverbs 16:3

Looking Through God's Eyes

God is everywhere and in all things (Ephesians 4:6). His presence is around us, even when we do not pay attention to it. He lives IN us and is closer to us and knows us better than we know our own self. Yet, we spend most of the day ignoring Him. Those of us who are too self-reliant to depend on God, find our self in more trouble than we can handle.

With pride, comes our fall (Proverbs 16:18). God resists the proud, who are too self-sufficient to lean on Him (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). We are drowning in our problems and continually have to face the fact that we can’t; but, God can. With humility comes more grace. As we submit to His direction with a humble heart, God draws near to us.

We all suffer in this life, but God always works everything out for our good (Romans 8:28). God uses our problems to show His glory (John 9:2-3). He reveals the issues of life to us from His perspective rather than our own earthly one, and we can deal with them through the power of the Holy Spirit within us. God actually cares about every aspect of our life.

Solomon told us to trust in the Lord with our whole heart, and not to depend on our human understanding. He advises us to seek the Lord with our entire being and to acknowledge God in whatever we are doing (Proverbs 3:5-6). We can to consult God about which direction to take, which decision to make, which person to speak to, what color to purchase and even what groceries to buy for that week. Father knows best.

Prayer:

Father God, our life on earth is a momentary affliction compared to the glories You prepared for us in Heaven. Your paths lead us through the sea, Your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen (Psalms 77:14, 19b). Give us the lens of Your mercy and grace in order to view our problems; so that we can have Your perspective on it all.

Thought for the Day:

God has an eternal perspective and He sees what is best for all of us throughout eternity, and not just for life on this earth.