Dear Ones,
Hope you have a peace-filled day. I plan to study, do food prep and make salmon/zucchini patties etc. It is Donut Day here and Bible Study this afternoon.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
I think perhaps we all have trouble running our own lives in our own strength, rather than seeking the Lord and trusting Him to lead us. We were created by Him and for Him and to live our lives in Him and when we deviate from that we get in trouble. Maybe we start out submitting to Him and pretty soon we find ourselves in the driver’s seat and things are not going well. We begin to feel anxious or disheartened and just then a light bulb goes on, we realize we have taken over the wheel and driving on a course that God has not planned for us. We need to stop and confess our waywardness and give Him control once again.

I was reading from the book of Isaiah and the Lord used Isaiah to speak His word to the people. He warned them of what would happen if they went their own way. The people had become proud and trusted in themselves and said, in Isaiah 9:10, “The bricks have fallen, but we will build (all the better) with hewn stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will put (costlier) cedars in their place.” In other words, we will do it ourselves in our own strength! The results were devastating as the Lord stirred up their enemies to devour them.

Our pride will bring us down when we choose to go our own way rather than God’s. It says in Proverbs 16:9, “A man’s mind plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.” It’s alright to make plans but we must hold them loosely so that if the Lord shows us a different way that we go His way, and not ours. I usually have a plan for the day of what I hope to accomplish but then I need to always follow with, “Lord, if this is not your plan then may I go your way, not mine!”

Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to help you choose His way each day and if need be, lay aside your plan, trusting His plan is far better!
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy