Whose Wisdom, Whose Strength? — Weekly Devotional

 Hi Readers!

Welcome back to the Controversial Book Club’s weekly devotional! My name is Melody Polar, and today I am bringing you a devotional on following God’s will.

Y’all probably have memorized verses such as Proverbs 3:5-6 that tell us to trust and follow God’s guidance in our lives. But following the command in these verses can be very hard. It is difficult to set aside our human pride by leaning on the Lord’s guidance rather than our own understanding.

Here’s the thing, though: God sees the big picture, but we don’t. This truth is why we need to lean on His guidance rather than our own understanding. 

There are so many different stories, both in the Bible and outside the Bible, of people who trusted God’s wisdom rather than their own and found that God knows best. These people include Abraham as he took Isaac up into the mountains of Moriah; Moses as he went to speak to Pharaoh; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as they stood before Nebuchadnezzar; and Corrie Ten Boom as she was imprisoned in Auschwitz. Each of these people, as well as many, many others, chose to follow God’s guidance and do what was right, even when the consequences seemed impossible to withstand.

Hebrews 11:1 in the KJV states:

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

The definition of faith, according to this verse, is trusting God to bring about good through the outcome of actions you don’t always understand. It goes against human instinct to stand for the right, to follow God’s will, when doing so leads to what we deem punishment (ridicule, persecution, even death). But God’s ways are higher than ours, and He promises us that:

"For those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."

(Romans 8:28)

By the way, loving God was defined by Jesus in John 14:15:

 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."

It’s hard to follow God’s way rather than our own, even though we know that it will eventually work together for good. If you find it hard to do right by following God’s will in the face of derision, remember Philippians 4:13:

"I can do ALL things through Him who strengthens me." 

(emphasis added)

Let’s Pray:

Lord,

I know that Your ways are higher than mine, and I know that You have promised to work all things together for good for those who love You, but sometimes I still am drawn to follow my own understanding rather than Your will. Please strengthen me to do right in the face of derision and persecution. Remind me that I only see the immediate results, while You see the whole picture. I know that I can do all things through You, and that what I don’t understand, You know perfectly. I trust You to bring about what You have in store for me.

For our good and Your glory,

Amen

Related Songs:

Do Right — Patch the Pirate

Goodbye, My Way — Abigail Miller

Image: By Daniel Lincoln on Unsplash

—Melody❤