Proverbs 3:5-12
Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track. Don't assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health… your very bones will vibrate with life! Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over. But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline; don't sulk under his loving correction. It's the child he loves that God corrects; a father's delight is behind all this.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
This morning, I downloaded the pattern for making a crochet button necklace. I saw my friend wearing one, and I liked it enough to want to make some with my old buttons. I can already tell from reading the instructions that I will probably have to start over more than once before I get the hang of it, but I will keep trying, and the end result will be really cool.
As with many things that don’t work out on the first try, I will probably grow a little frustrated. And I will have to be careful not to race ahead, assuming that I already know how to do the next stitch. I looked my friend’s necklace over carefully, but I have enough sense to realize that I need instructions in order to make a decent replica on my own! So I will be happy for the free instructions I found online, and I will welcome the “corrections” that will come as I attempt to create my own fashion accessory.
We often trust our own instincts and try to figure things out on our own… frequently with less than stellar results. We resent instruction, and we ignore even some of the most glaring signs that we are headed in the wrong direction. Worse yet, we listen to people who are not helpful at best – and sometimes those who may be downright evil in one way or another. If we are going to “walk in the fear of the LORD,” we have to humble ourselves and detach from evil ways. We cannot hang out with evil people… or do things we did before we committed to Christ.
This is not a bad thing… or a “death sentence!” When we walk in the “fear” (respect and honor) of the LORD and seek His guidance in all things, He will elevate us to heights we have never known… and the end result will be beautiful, healthy, and glowing! I find that learning new things is beneficial in so many ways… even if it is how to make a crochet button necklace! Learning more about the LORD and His desires for me is even better - and draws me closer to walking in His purpose for my life.
In my prayer journal notes, I have written… “Whether or not the world is ever impressed with you doesn’t ever matter to God. You don’t ever have to “kiss up” to get ahead. Walking in the fear of the LORD will get you where you need to be – to your one true root purpose.” Are you seeking God’s direction and respectfully trusting Him from the bottom of your heart? Are you healthy and glowing… do your bones “vibrate with life” in Him? Are you still learning from God… or are you stubbornly clinging to your old life and its evil pull?
God wants to do beautiful things in and through you. He wants to reveal His purpose and help you to grow in its fullness. What is holding you back today? Isn’t it time to listen to God’s instruction for your life? Are you ready to start learning again?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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