2nd. December. 2020. Daily Devotion.
Trust in the Lord
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
I came across this comment on Proverbs 3:5
“First off, we have to remember this: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart” is an aspiration for most Christians, not a reality. It is hard to tell how far one might properly take it. What would we be like if we hit the 99.99% mark? Something like John the Baptist, one would imagine. Or we might rather adopt a lifestyle more like Jesus Himself, because He apparently lived a little more conformant to societal norms than John. After all, He drank wine and ate bread, and even roast lamb, at least sometimes. He wore better clothes than John. He travelled to cities and towns and seems to have slept indoors on regular occasions.
This train of speculative thought could run on and on, but the gulf between our lifestyle, and that of Christ or any of His disciples, is not the point of Proverbs 3:5. The verse addresses a narrow sliver of our being, i.e., our “understanding”: our thoughts, ideas, and beliefs. I only mention lifestyle to illustrate how far away we are from true attainment. We can easily see, in other words, that we are driving around in a heated automobile and sleeping in a comfy bed, and compare that to walking with only one staff and pair of sandals, or fasting in the wilderness for 40 days. It is more difficult to see how distant our ideas and beliefs are from the commandments of Scripture.”
Jesus trusted God for everything, and whilst we may not be required to do so in such extreme ways, it is always good to remind ourselves of this Proverb whenever we are in situations that are not easy, or our way straightforward. This is a call to allow the Spirit of God to guide us through the maze of life’s challenges when we cannot see our way clearly, especially at this time of global crisis. Lord, lead me to trust you more each day. Amen.
Prayer to the Holy Spirit to be with Me This Day
In utter humility, before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses, I come before you this morning, Eternal Spirit of God, to offer myself, my soul and body to you. I live in awe of your purity, your justice, and the power of your love. You are the strength and light of my soul, for without you I have neither life nor goodness. I desire never to grieve you by unfaithfulness, and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against you.
Mercifully guard my every thought; and grant that I may always watch for your light, and listen to your voice, and follow your gracious inspirations. Give me grace, O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son, to listen first for your voice in everything I may say or do, this day and always,
Pandemic Prayer
Unshakeable God, you are my ever-present help in times of trouble. Amidst all the isolation, grief and fear caused by this crisis, renew in me your peace, restore to me your perspective, and reveal to me your presence as I spend this time with you now.
Father, help me to live this day to the full, being true to You, in every way. Jesus, help me to give myself to others, being kind to everyone I meet. Remind me to pray for the suffering ones who are most affected by the pandemic and for all who are working to carry us through this time to a new way of life. Spirit, help me to love the lost, proclaiming Christ in all I do and say. Amen.
