Reading: Psalm 55:12-23
Choose Trust
I admit, I'm a worrier. I worry about all sorts of things, big and small. But I always have to remind myself to trust instead of worry. Reading this Psalm is a great example of how David continually puts trust in the Lord over carrying around the burden of worry. I never could quite comprehend how David went through trial after trial, and running from everyone and somehow staying sane. (The same goes with Job, but that's another story for another day.) But we read in verse 22: "Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall." I find encouragement in this verse as I face struggles today. It would be a great idea to write each year in the margins of this verse a struggle you're facing, then when you come back to it, to see how God moved in that, and remember how you put your trust in Him.
When we choose to trust, we open a whole new door of confidence and faith. No matter how things turn out, we can rest assured that God doesn't want us to have the burden of worry. When we trust in Him, we grow in Him. What burden are you worrying about today that you need to turn into trust in Him?
Reading: John 3:22-36
Choose Jesus
We can see how popular John the Baptist became as more people came to him to be baptized, and even though John's followers got competitive with Jesus, John pointed them to Jesus. This should be how we all live life. We can always work towards bettering ourselves, moving up the ladder, training for success, but in the long run, where are you pointing your life? John compares his relationship with Jesus as the friend and "best man" to the groom, he being Jesus' best man. He is there for Jesus, and pointing people to Him.
We can live for ourselves, or we can live for Him. "He must become greater; I must become less." John echos this in this reading, and we are to do the same in our lives. When we find success, we should give it to God. The focus should never be on ourselves when our mission is the point people to Him. When we choose Jesus over ourselves, we will reap eternal rewards and find the ultimate success in Him. Are you being the "best man" or "best woman" to Jesus and making it about Him, instead about yourself? How do you display this in your life, and what evidence do you see of Him there? May we live each day proclaiming, "He must become greater; I must become less."
Reading: Joshua 23:1-24:33
Choose Whom You Will Serve
As we near the end of Joshua's life, we read how he reminds the people of what the Lord has done for them. Once he lays this out, he challenges the people, asking them whom they will serve. We know that in this world the choices are endless. There are so many pleasures and things we can commit our lives to. We can depend on power, money, sex, drugs, sports, success, etc. But the people proclaim that they will indeed serve the Lord.
When we assess our own lives, what is the thing that sticks out most? Do you spend hours and money on one thing in particular? Is it for the Lord? You can always tell where one devotes themselves by looking at their schedule and their checkbook. There are temptations all around to sway us to spend our devotion on one thing or another. We will always be seeking though, if we don't come to the conclusion that God is the ultimate satisfaction. Life is short, and culture gets more daunting. When we pass these values down to our children and raise them in the standards that God lays out for us, we pass along the most important possession they will ever have.
Choose this day whom, or what, you will serve. Make it evident in and out of your life.
We face choices everyday. Some are tiny, some are huge. But we read about some of the bigger ones today. We can choose to trade in worry for trust. We can choose to trade in the world for Jesus. And we can choose to trade in serving other things for serving the Lord. Where is your life devoted? Your life will reflect it. Choosing Jesus is the most important decision you can make, and I say this from observing my life and the lives of others. Choose this day whom you will serve. Become less, so He can become greater.
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