Month: February 2022

Straight or Crooked Paths

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I have found myself being very nostalgic recently.  It has been a year since I received a diagnosis of DCIS.  Those were hard days.  I had decisions to make while feeling overwhelmed. This next week marks one year since I crashed after getting my first opinion.  While I am not a fan of crashing (I have done it more times than I like to admit), I am so glad that I got a second opinion.  I felt so much better about my decision after the calm atmosphere at CTCA in Zion, IL.  I greatly appreciate the expert care I received there.

God allowed what I would consider a crooked and rocky path last year to show me how He can make my paths straight.  I had to pray my way through repetitious thoughts of “I don’t want to deal with this”.   By God’s grace, He kept showing His love time and again as He led me through the situation. I am so glad this part of my story is past.  While I will always have some of the difficult memories and I bear the scar of surgery, I do not want to feel sorry for any of it.  God gave so much grace.  I continue to pray that God’s hand is visible in my life.  Whatever path God leads me to walk in the future.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for making my paths straight through tough times.  Thank You that I can lean on You.  Please help me to continue to submit to Your plans.  I want others to see Your hand in my life.

I pray this in Jesus’ name.

God is so good.

Pleasant Safety

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Last week, I talked about wisdom being safe.  The next two verses continue the theme.  I like how verse 10 talks about knowledge being pleasant.  Too often the information we see comes through as unpleasant.  I understand why – we fight through information overload sorting through what we read or hear.  This is why I am thankful for God’s wisdom.  His way gives clarity as I walk the path He has chosen for me.  I can gain pleasant safety as I seek God.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for providing wisdom through Your word.  Please guide Your followers as You have promised.  Please help us to see the guidance You provide.

I pray this in Jesus’ name.

God is so good.

Safety

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We have heard a lot about safety over the last two years.  Unfortunately, we have passionately disagreed on the details.  No matter where I stand, or the reason why, I want to seek God for wisdom.  Wisdom will direct our thinking through the ever-changing sea of information.  God knows everything.  He knows how it all fits together.  He knows what will happen. He knows the good and bad decisions we will all make.

In Proverbs 2:7-8 we read that God keeps those who follow Him – those who fear Him.  He has wisdom reserved for us.  He is a shield and watches us.  There is safety in the fear of the Lord.

Sometimes we think that the weight of our decisions fully rests on our shoulders.  While we need to take responsibility for our decisions, we need to lean on the Lord and seek the wisdom He so freely gives (James 1:5).

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for storing wisdom for us. Thank you for the protection you provide. Please help us to seek You in all our decisions.

I pray this in Jesus’ name.

God is so good.

Seek Ask Understand

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Proverbs 2 gives us another if then statement regarding wisdom and fear of the Lord.  If we seek and ask for wisdom, we will understand the fear of the Lord.  Then verse 6 reminds us that all of this comes from God. 

I believe that we get stuck in human understanding.  God gave us minds for the purpose of thinking logically.  Unfortunately, we can use our logic in our own strength without the fear of the Lord.  If we walk away from Scriptural thinking, our logic will take us down the wrong path.  We need to seek wisdom from the Word of God.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us wisdom through Your word.  Please help us to seek You and You alone for wisdom.  Please help us to understand fearing You.

I pray this in Jesus’ name.

God is so good.