Daily Devotional for January 29, 2016

Psalms 19:7-9
The revelation of God is whole
    and pulls our lives together.
The signposts of God are clear
    and point out the right road.
The life-maps of God are right,
    showing the way to joy.
The directions of God are plain
    and easy on the eyes.
God’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold,
    with a lifetime guarantee.
The decisions of God are accurate
    down to the nth degree.

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.
 
There was an estate sale in a neighborhood near my mother-in-law’s recently, and she found a box of Christmas ornaments there that interested her.  She excitedly held up an old-looking ceramic Santa ornament and said, “Look!  It says 1925!”  I turned it over, and on the bottom, it said, “Made in China.”

My mother-in-law is a savvy buyer at estate sales and flea markets…she has been “in the business” for years.  But even the most astute dealer can get tripped up sometimes…caught up in the moment…hopeful that this “find” is a good one that will net big profits.  But in flea market/estate sale finds, there are few sure things. We have a favorite auctioneer who announces at the beginning of his sales that attendees are buying “as is, where is - no guarantees.”

Aren’t you glad that it isn’t this way with God?  We may not always like the direction in which He steers us…we may not agree with His decisions.  But God’s plans are always perfect…accurate “down to the nth degree”…leading us down the right road on the path to joy.

I know a lot of people who are hurting today…people who are questioning God’s plans and paths – and understandably so!  It doesn’t seem “right” that a 45-year-old father of children ages 10, 8, and 4 should be taken to heaven.  It doesn’t seem fair that a “Poppy” to children about to hit major milestones in their lives isn’t here to see those…or that the father of a toddler and an infant has to spend a year serving our country in the Middle East while they take first steps, lose a tooth, and learn to talk and read.  It seems inconceivable to accept the ravages of war…the atrocities of torture and evil…orphans…famines…floods, wildfires, earthquakes and other natural disasters…and so much more that seems to run counter to the goodness and generosity of God.

This is where we really have to exercise our faith muscle.  This is where we have to say, “I believe in the ‘lifetime guarantee’ of God Almighty.  I believe that His decisions truly are accurate down to the nth degree.  I may not understand it all…but I accept that His path is the one to real joy and peace – and a life everlasting.”  There will be some “raw deals” in our lives…some “genuine reproductions”…and plenty of disappointments.  But “the signposts of God are clear and point out the right road.” 

The life-maps of God truly are right – and show us way to joy.  It is our job to hold on…to continue to trust…and to pay attention to His directions.  How are you doing these days?

©2016 Debbie Robus