Crosswalk.com--The Devotional

[Judy Harder]

Freedom from the Bonds of Sin
Alex Crain
Editor, Christianity.com

"...if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." Romans 8:13

While reading this week in chapter eight of Francis Schaeffer's True Spirituality where he is speaking about freedom from the bonds of sin, I was reminded of the story of an experienced, 27 year-old rock climber named Aron Ralston. One beautiful spring morning in 2003, he jumped into his truck with just enough food and water for the day. He took off by himself and drove a hundred and fifty miles south of Salt Lake City to his favorite spot—a remote canyon area that used to be the hideout for wild-west outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

By afternoon, he was suspended seventy-five feet high off the canyon floor—climbing in a crevice that was just a few feet wide. It was a perfect day. But then without warning, a boulder suddenly broke loose from the rock wall above him, hurtled down and trapped Ralston's right arm against the wall, completely crushing his hand. At that instant, Aron's hand—one of his greatest assets—had now become his greatest liability.

Five whole days passed as he tried various ways to free himself—all to no avail. His efforts to chip away at the boulder with a pocket knife only made a small dent. Rigging up a pulley system to move the boulder proved fruitless.

Finally, a moment of decisive clarity came. The thoughts came fast and furious: he could break his forearm, cut through the muscle with his dirty pocket knife, detach his arm, and use a piece of rope as a tourniquet.

Aron explains that he was driven by "some sort of autopilot" as he went about the gruesome task of amputating his own right arm just below the elbow. After he was finished, Aron lowered himself down and began trudging slowly in the direction of his truck. Later, he stumbled across two hikers who used a mobile phone to call in a rescue helicopter. Amputating his right arm was a radical act, but it was one that saved his life and reunited him with his family.

God calls us to deal with sin in our life in a way that is surprisingly similar. The Bible doesn't offer a laid-back, live-and-let-live approach at all. It's so radical, that we don't really like hearing about it or talking about it. Recall what Jesus said in Matthew 5:30, "If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell." While Jesus was not literally talking about physical amputation, He was saying that sin's deadly effects call for extreme measures. Even though it hurts, we must rid sin from our lives. In fact, our eternal destiny hinges on how we deal with sin.

Really? Well, why else would Jesus talk about hell in the same breath that He talks about how we are to deal with sin if He didn't mean to teach that our eternal destiny hangs in the balance? Clearly, it's a matter of preferring one destiny over the other. Outward behavior indicates what the heart primarily loves. If Aron Ralston had stayed there on the canyon wall with his hand pinned down by the boulder, he would have died. But because he was willing to kill his hand, his life was saved.

The same goes with us as we deal with sin. It really comes down to what we value most. Colossians 3:5 says, "Put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry." The world may tell us to laugh about sin, to lighten up about it, to tolerate it, and just let it be... that it's not idolatry; it's not an issue of worship. God says the opposite is true.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

What is robbing you of the blessings of peace with God?

What is keeping you from treasuring the Lord Jesus Christ above all other things?

Pray for grace to heed God's radical call to amputate sin from your life in His strength.

Further Reading
Romans 8:10-18

"Is Christianity just a bunch of rules for how to live?" (by John Piper, DesiringGod.org)

Between a Rock and a Hard Place (by Aron Ralston, © 2004 Simon & Schuster)

[Judy Harder]

Playing With Fire
By Ryan Duncan. TheFish.com Editor

Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins. – James 4:17

Last week I decided to take a few days off work and fly into Green Bay so I could spend the week with my family. I was really looking forward to my vacation, not only because it would be a chance to relax, but also because I'd get to see my oldest sister and newborn niece for the first time in almost two years.

So Tuesday evening I left work in a good mood, checked my bags into the airport, and made my way through the customary TSA groping to the terminal where I was promptly told that my flight had been canceled. With no other planes headed to Green Bay that night, I had no choice but to go home and try again another day. The next morning I got up at 4 am and returned to the airport where the airlines announced that the same thing had happened again. Clerks informed everyone that they would do their best to find us all new flights, and that all passengers would be given compensation when we pried it from their cold, dead hands.

At this point my mood was as black and foul as boiling tar, and I waited sullenly until one of the attendants asked me where I was headed. No sooner had the words "Green Bay" left my mouth when (and I am not making this up) a fireman came running through the side doors and announced that an airplane had caught fire outside the gate, and everyone needed to move to the end of the terminal. Overall, it wasn't one of my best traveling experiences.

The thing is, during all of this I could feel the Holy Spirit nudging me. I think God knew I was angry, and was encouraging me to pray, to read my Bible, even to do simple things like write or walk around the terminal and cool off. Each time I felt the nudging though, I stamped it out. I didn't want to be patient, I wanted to be angry. I wanted to groan and complain and go ballistic in the middle of the airport. I was completely justified in doing so, and I didn't care that my anger wouldn't fix anything, or that the clerks already had four people yelling at them. I chose to wallow in my rage instead of pushing it away.     

How often do we allow ourselves to play with sin? How often do we tell ourselves that we're justified in our behavior because life isn't fair, or the situation is against us? One of the toughest challenges we Christians face today is remembering to reflect Christ, even when things get bad. Take it from me, don't ignore the Holy Spirit. Sure, you're still going to get angry, and but how you handle that anger will determine how Christ works in your life, and more importantly, how others will see Christ in you.

Intersecting Faith and Life

Are you unable to let something go? Take a moment to talk with God and let him take it from you.

Further Reading

Proverbs 19:11

[Judy Harder]

A Hedge of Clichés
by Katherine Britton

"And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words." - Matthew 6:7

A Bible study friend recently encouraged me to rewrite the famous passage on Proverbs 31 woman in my own words, with application to my own life. I took her up on the challenge, thinking the task wouldn't be too hard for someone who writes for a career.

Crafting a modern application took an hour—much longer than I figured. Getting away from verbatim repetition to explore specific application required much more of my time and energy than I would typically spend journaling on a passage. Stepping back from the verse-by-verse analysis, though, I thought I saw the Proverb 31 woman's characteristics a bit more clearly. Rewriting the passage didn't destroy the original language for me—on the contrary. The "words, words, words" seemed fresh and clear from my new vantage point.

Unfortunately, reading and "hiding Scripture in our hearts" quickly slips into rote recitation for me. It's like Tim Hawkin's hedge of protection comedy sketch; the words have power, but we start spouting them off without much thought. Pretty soon, I'm sitting in church and halfway through a hymn before I realize that I'm singing. My heart gets left behind too when my mind is disengaged. Pretty soon, I'm praying a "hedge of protection" for somebody, partially because the phrase sounds good without making me think too carefully about their specific needs. 

The Pharisee Jesus described in Luke 18:9-13 had mastered the art of hiding insincerity behind the right phrases. He knew the turn of phrase that would convey holy devotion, regardless of the filth in his heart. "Words, words, words" became meaningless, as Hamlet saw them in the dead books - they became a socially acceptable key to avoid the real attitudes.

Contrast this to the tax collector. He understood that social niceties wouldn't veil his sins before God, and he didn't continue with a recitation the way the Pharisee did. His simple prayer was, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner." That was it. He knew the impact of his simple phrase far better than the Pharisee did. He didn't need to "babble" to impress God or those around him; he simply spoke his heart, knowing that ability to pray is itself a mercy.

The beautiful language of Scripture is best adorned with sincerity of heart, not how many words we can string together in holy sentences. After all, consider how simple the Lord's Prayer is written - and how difficult and miraculous it is to proclaim "Your will be done."

Intersecting Faith and Life: There's not a "holy attitude" that we put on at "holy times" - we are called to be holy all the time, in our joking with friends as well as our prayers. We need to speak simply, truly, and to God's glory all the time. This week, practice this by eliminating Christian catch phrases from your prayers, instead journaling your prayers to bring a fresh application.

[Judy Harder]

The Quest for Perfection
by Sarah Phillips

You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5: 48

The Scripture above is one most of us would read with some perplexity. As Christians we know we're sinners in need of a Savior. Every Sunday at church we thank God for His divine intervention through Christ's death on the cross.

Yet the very One sent to die for us seems to be asking us here to be that which we know we can't: perfect. Not just really, really good. But perfect in the way God is perfect.

Now if you're a perfectionist like me, you may already have your pen out to list all your weaknesses so you can strategize the best plan to eradicate them from your life.

This isn't a bad exercise, but I've often become easily frustrated and tired when I set out to perfect myself. That's precisely the problem with this approach - it's all about me, myself, and I. An old friend of mine, in his quest to eliminate his selfish attitude, would often exclaim with much exasperation: "I keep trying to get rid of my selfishness but in the process of trying to improve myself, I end up focusing on my self all the time!"

It's hard to stifle a smile at his candor. It seems God has something better in mind for us than a glorified self-help program.

Perhaps the verse above is easier to understand when cast in a different light. Peter doesn't use the word "perfect" but instead calls believers to "holiness":

" ... but as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct: since it is written 'you shall be holy, for I am holy.'" (1 Peter 1: 15 - 16)

Holiness transcends what someone does (or doesn't do) and ties directly into who God is. As believers, we aren't necessarily called to be "perfect" by the world's standards, but instead to reflect God's nature to others. His goodness, truth, strength, and love.

The only way we can accurately reflect God to others is to strive daily to know God. To be in His presence. To meditate on His Word. Unlike the futile self-help approach, the more we focus on God, the less self-focused we become. And the more available we make ourselves to His transforming grace in our lives.

"Above all the grace and the gifts that Christ gives to his beloved is that of overcoming self." ~ St. Francis of Assisi

Intersecting Faith & Life:  Do something this week that requires you to "forget" yourself and your struggles. Serving those in need is usually a good way to do this.

Further Reading

2 Samuel 22: 31

Matthew 19: 21

[Judy Harder]

No Worries
By Ryan Duncan, TheFish.com Editor



Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

A few nights ago, I was driving back home when I reached a stoplight just in front of my apartment. It was late, I was the only car on the road and to be honest, I wasn't paying much attention. I automatically made a left turn into the nearby parking lot and suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw a flash. I felt my stomach twist into a knot. Had I just turned on a red light? Had that flash been a traffic camera? Was I going to get fined?

In retrospect, it wasn't that big of a deal, but I was still worrying about it the next day when I went off to work. Would I be receiving a ticket in the mail? How much would I have to pay? With a poor driving history and not much money in my bank account, all I could think about was the humiliation of having to pay a fine and watching my insurance rates go up.

It's amazing how we let fear and insecurity rule our lives. If something as small as a possible traffic ticket can ruin our whole day, how will we be able cope when real tragedy strikes? Surprisingly, many Christians can't let go of their worries, or worse, don't seem to know how. Philippians 4:6 reads "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Despite this, I think we sometimes hesitate to bring our problems before God. It may be because A.) We don't want to sound like we're whining to God, or B.) We know that praying to Christ does not guarantee things will turn out the way we want them to.

But there is more to praying about problems than simply asking God for a solution. God wants us to rely on him fully, even in the worst circumstances. When we give our cares to Him, we are reminded that He loves us, and that He is in control. I'm pretty sure that soon I'll have to pay for running a red light, but by bringing my worry before God I was able to accept it and move on. Don't let life's worries get you down. As my Dad used to say, "The most common phrase in the Bible is 'Fear not.'"

Intersecting Faith and Life

Is their anything you're worried about? Take some time to simply pray about it to God.

Further Reading

Matthew 6:25-34                   

[Judy Harder]

I Want Answers Now!
by Laura MacCorkle

In his heart, a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. Proverbs 16:9, NIV

Living in the Information Age, we're so used to getting what we want as soon as we want it.

We're becoming more and more accustomed to not having to wait for anything, as instant gratification is the norm in many areas of our lives.

A gourmet, meat-and-three meal ready in less than three minutes from the microwave. Check. 
Instant text messages sent directly to our handheld communication devices. Check.
Mobile phone reception and extensive coverage wherever we may travel. Check. 
Wireless Internet access so we can log on whenever and wherever we want. Check.
A new group of "friends" in an online social network who we don't have to spend face-time with in order to call friends. Check.
Can you relate? God forbid that we should ever have to wait on something, because that's when the real whining and the complaining kick in. I should know.

I've been struggling with an ongoing life situation that has got me journaling and praying and reading and discussing up a storm. I don't understand what God is doing, and I want answers and a flowchart of how this will all be worked out. Right now.

I want to plan my course and make something happen—move the situation along, if I can, and get the results that I think should be had and on my time schedule.

Not long after I have a mental outburst such as this, I am immediately convicted. And I know that this is not the right way to respond. How must God interpret this type of thinking? Does he lovingly shake his head and murmur, "Oh, sweet child. Someday she'll learn." Or perhaps I disappoint him because I cannot trust in him without struggling with my desire to first know all the steps he's planning for me to get from Point A to Point Z.

While flipping through my Bible this week, I found that the words of Psalm 145: 3-7 have helped me to see this struggle in a different light:

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
His greatness no one can fathom.
One generation will commend your works to another;
They will tell of your mighty acts.
They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and I will meditate on your wonderful works,
and I will proclaim your great deeds.
They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

After reading this passage, I was reminded that it doesn't matter that I understand what is going on in the world. It doesn't matter that I can't control what is or isn't happening. What matters is that I know and profess that God is great, and that he is good. Period.

Why even struggle with trying to understand the ways of a sovereign God? He alone is worthy of our praise and adoration. Why not just immediately respond with celebration for who he is? Why not just surrender and rest in him? For his answers for our lives are never late and always arrive at just the right time.

Intersecting Faith & Life:
Are you wrestling with God, as Jacob did at Peniel (Gen. 32)? It is God—not you—who holds your destiny in his hands. Ask him to help you take one day at a time as you trust in him and his plan and timetable for your life.

Further Reading:
Isaiah 55:8-9, NIV
Romans 8:28, NIV

[Judy Harder]

That Boy Dating Your Daughter is More Than a Nuisance
by Shawn McEvoy, Managing Editor at Crosswalk.com

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts...
Psalm 95:6-8

My little girl will turn five in a week, and believe it or not... I'm looking forward to the day she starts bringing boys home.

Oh, believe me, there's no rush. I'm happy to remain Numero Uno in little Lauren's eyes as long as possible. All I'm really saying here is that I believe in her, in how she's being raised, in how she's taking after her mother. Whoever she brings home - I'm confident saying - is not going to be a person without redeeming qualities (and if you don't mind me bragging, she's already made three little boys from preschool so giddy their parents joked with us about an arranged marriage).

So what has me so primed for this experience that I don't sound like the typical dad at the door with a sneer and a shotgun? What else? The experience of having been valued and trusted myself.

Twenty-three years ago I didn't know it, but I became part of a family. The McGriffs were a very unique family. When I met their eldest daughter, Dick and Susan had just remarried each other after having divorced each other. I never knew all the details, only that this was their first example to me of it never being too late, of recognizing wrongs and repenting.

They took to me right away, but don't get the impression that they didn't lay down the law or have rules. It was the way they imposed them - agreeably, fairly, seriously - that made so much of a difference. It's not even that they didn't try to "change" me - to be perfectly honest they did try: suggesting Christian alternatives to my secular music, suggesting viewed-at-their-home Cary Grant movies to the ones I would have preferred taking their daughter to the theater to see, giving us five minutes after a date to say goodnight before the front lights would be flicked on and off signaling that, okay, that's enough now.

I dated Malia for four-and-a-half years, off and on. During that time I built memories, house-sat for their family, came to cherish younger sisters Michelle and Amy like they were my own. Oh, like most young couples our relationship wasn't perfect; we would fight and make things more difficult than they had to be, just as I continue to do. But from her folks there was always instruction, encouragement, solidity. Laughs and firm handshakes. Always trust regardless.

Thanks to Facebook, I've regained contact with these three sisters, observed how their family has grown, and chuckled at the way they continue to interact despite living all over the country (Malia in particular had the most amazing talent for taking tense situations and making them laughable, one I'm told she still has, one that is a story for another time). I sent them the following email:

Just wanna say... You three are still some of my favorite people I've ever met, especially for a trio of sisters. I love how life has worked out for all of you, and how large that family has grown, and how involved your folks are in visiting. You have fantastic men who seem to get you and treat you well.

You're all three beautiful examples of Christian motherhood and of being distinctly individual yet connected. It was transformative to grow up as a semi-adopted part of your clan, and it's a blessing to see your joy - and how you've dealt with the pains - today.

You gals rock!

And from each I received back a distinctive, meaningful, heartfelt response. And I traced it all to the commitments, re-commitments, and never-give-up attitudes their parents made so obvious without being annoying. And shoot, even if they were ever annoying, I love them the more for it now.

There are opportunities everywhere. And yes, there are dangers. And times are different, and believe me - I know guys and what is on their minds. But I was politely welcomed and discipled as more than the sum of my convertible sportscar + raging hormones, and in so many ways, that made as much difference as several lessons my own parents modeled for me.

Thanks again, McGriff family.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Are you nervous about your daughter starting to date? Why or why not? Have you taken an active role in helping her decide in advance what choices are better than others? Will you be able to understand or tolerate failings? Are you able to be firm while smiling and maintaining a sense of humor or gentility? Willing to be labeled as old-fashioned but resolute in knowing your ways are good ways? You never know who or what that boy is going to become, but you have a chance to help ensure it's something good.

Further Reading

Proverbs 22:6

1 Corinthians 2:5

Raise a Godly Daughter in an Ungodly World

[Judy Harder]

Good without God?
Alex Crain
Editor, Christianity.com

"...even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened."
Romans 1:21

Many are professing quite loudly today that they can be "good without God." And I think that I have a fairly clear understanding of what these people are trying to say. They haven't killed anybody. They work hard. They build community, are compassionate, and give to charity. I suppose that from a perspective in which the God of the Bible is ignored for a few moments, you could easily agree that they are decent people.

The rub comes, though, when you probe more deeply than the superficial. At the heart of the issue is how we define what "good" actually means. Who defines that? And by what authority? The natural man who claims to be "good without God" is saying, in fact, that he wants to improvise what good means and define it on his own terms.

Now, granted, if Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead and all the claims Christianity are irrelevant, then non-believers are free to live however they choose with no consequences. And that is exactly what most want. But that is a point of view that doesn't exactly square with reality or history. At least one atheist, Joel Marks, who writes at the New York Times blog, Opinionator, seems to have a clear grasp of this truth. If there's no good God we're accountable to, then morality is just a fairy tale and the terms "right" and "wrong" have no meaning.

In the end, man's attempt to redefine good on his own terms has no effect on the definition of good that's been eternally fixed by God.  Romans 1:18-32 powerfully speaks to this, saying that man's very desire to determine for himself what is good is something that God actually mocks, calling it "futile... foolish... and darkened."

Think of it, as harmless as it may seem on the surface, it's really a grave offense for a creature made by God to stroll around on the earth that God made and pretend to himself that there is no God. Such self-centered unbelief actually screams that Jesus, the Apostles and the thousands of martyrs and godly believers through the ages are nothing more than a pack of liars.

Romans 1:18-21 says that the good-without-God kind of people "suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them... For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks."

Saying these things isn't meant as a beat-down on unbelievers so that believers can somehow feel good about themselves. Rather, it's truth offered in kindness to help people see their condition. It comes down to a simple question: Can a person be truly good when they are calling a good God and good people liars? No, a good person trusts God. A good person doesn't reject the testimony of reliable witnesses. A good person honors God and gives thanks to Him (Rom. 1:21).

The necessity of giving thanks brings up another type of "good without God" person that exists out there. Romans 1 teaches that not only is the irreligious, outright God-denier in that category, but there is also a religious type of God-denier. Respected Christian thinker, Francis Schaeffer, explains it well in the first chapter of his classic book, True Spirituality.

He wrote that as seemingly small, insignificant and optional as a thankful heart might appear to be at first glance, thankfulness turns out to be the litmus test for whether or not one really believes in God. If you say that God is a personal God and He is your Father, but by your life you do not trust Him, honor Him and give Him thanks, you're really denying what you say you believe. You're trying to be good without God. The path to true goodness starts then with a prayer spoken of in Mark 9:24. Christ always answers it: "Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief."

Yes, life is hard. Yes, we live in a sin-cursed and fallen world. Things are not as they should be. Still—and this may be a hard truth to accept—faith coupled with thankfulness in all things is not optional. It's essential. Not giving thanks with a plastic smile, but having genuine thankfulness that shows real trust in God through the hard things.

Without faith, man is out of touch with reality. People can only be good with God in His proper place.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

How firmly do you believe that God alone defines good and evil?

What does your level of thankfulness show about the reality of your faith in God?

If you have an opportunity to talk with someone today who is trying to be good without God, relate to him in a positive way about his desire to be good, and direct him to this deeper line of thinking in Romans 1.

Further Reading

How to Know Truth and Evaluate Competing Worldviews by Chris Daniel
Why I Believe in God by Cornelius Van Til
Ephesians 4:17-5:21

[Judy Harder]

Finish the Race
by Ryan Duncan
Editor at TheFish.com

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. – 2 Timothy 4:7

The other day I was flipping through videos of old Olympic events when I came across one you might be familiar with. It followed the 1992 men's 400 meter track semi-final in Barcelona. The race started out like any other Olympic event. The runners took their mark, and at the sound of the starters pistol took off at lightning speed.

Halfway around the track though, a runner named Derek Redmond suddenly stumbled and fell. For several seconds he didn't move. Then to the audience horror, Redmond got up and began to limp his way around the track. Instantly coaches and medics ran onto the field and tried to get Redmond off his feet, but the runner only pushed them off and kept going.  Suddenly a man broke through security and came running to Redmond's side, it was his father.

Taking his son by the hand, the older man held Redmond up as the two of them half walked; half stumbled their way across the finish line. Sometimes, there are things in this world that point more strongly to God than any Bible verse we can memorize, and I believe the story of Redmond and his father is one of them. Life is not a race we are going to win. At some point, whether because of this fallen world or our own sin nature, all of us will stumble and fall. Many people believe that these times of tragedy prove God either does not exist, or simply does not care what happens to us, but they are wrong.     

True Christian grace is that in those moments of pain and defeat, God takes us by the hand, holds us up, and says, "Let's finish together." 

Intersecting Faith and Life

Take ten minutes to pray, read scripture, or simply spend some time alone with our Heavenly Father.

Further Reading

Isaiah 40:31     

[Judy Harder]

On the Lack of Lightning Bolts
by Katherine Britton

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6

I memorized these verses years and years ago, along with John 3:16 and other verses that good little children in Sunday School learn. In my five-year-old mind, I associated the proverb with a mental picture of a road stretching out for miles until it merged with the horizon. That was the "straight road" that I could so easily understand – clearly marked, unswerving, and, most importantly, unchanging. All I had to do was trust God and keep following that path. Little did I know, right?

At times the journey has felt more like an anecdote that Abraham Lincoln told of a man traveling through a thunderstorm. Through the mud and the sheets of rain, the poor traveler felt that he would lose his way entirely. The thunderclaps seemed right overhead, jolting his senses every few moments. Only the flashes of lightning helped him keep to the road. Finally, after a particularly loud crash, the man fell to his knees and cried, "O, Lord God, if it's all the same to you, I would like a little more light and little less noise!"

The major and minor uncertainties I've encountered – and will encounter in the future – often leave me with that sentiment. I think back to the promise of paths made straight and grumble that the signposts would be a lot easier to follow if they were in neon. We all ask, is this the career path you want me to take, God? Is this the man you want me to marry? Should I buy this house? Are we supposed to settle at this church? In what kind of school should we enroll the kids? God, I could really use a lightning bolt to clarify things!

It's easy to forget that the proverb reserves the promise until the last quarter of the verse, not the first. Review the wording of verse 6 with me. "In all your waysacknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

I memorized this verse years ago, but I'm still learning it by heart. Task-oriented person that I am, it's easier to visualize myself making "progress" towards a goal than it is to stop and refocus on inner attitudes. It doesn't occur to me that part the plan is simply standing still, waiting, and listening. I demand lightning bolts to see God's working rather than taking responsibility for the part assigned to me. My part lies in the trusting, the repudiating of self, and a settled confidence that he will work all things for his purpose. Then... the path is straightened. We may not even realize it this side of heaven, but the promise is that he guides our feet when our eyes are on him.

I fully believe that the Lord guides us in specific ways – through the Word, through the counsel of godly mentors, through nudges of the Holy Spirit – and yet we get caught up in the road metaphor a little too much. We're so distracted looking for the path that we forget a lifestyle of worship. To an extent, it matters less what we're doing than how we're doing it. As Paul wrote, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31)

The wonder of God's plan for us lies in this – in taking our eyes off the road at our feet and looking to him, God finds our way for us.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Step one: trust in the Lord with all your heart. Step tw do not lean on your own understanding. Step three: in all your ways acknowledge him. Result: whatever your path, he will direct your steps and make your path straight.

Further Reading:
Psalms 37:34
Philippians 1:4-6
Waiting on the Promises of God