Monday, January 12th
Psalm 27:7-14
7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice, And be gracious to me and answer me.
8 When You said, ``Seek My face," my heart said to You, ``Your face, O LORD, I shall seek."
9 Do not hide Your face from me, Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation!
10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me, But the LORD will take me up.
11 Teach me Your way, O LORD, And lead me in a level path Because of my foes.
12 Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence.
13 I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.
14 Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.
It’s always best to follow God’s timing, but inevitably, there will be times when we get it wrong. For instance, even the right thing done at the incorrect time can leave us vulnerable to sin or postpone the blessings God has planned for us.
By refusing to wait on the Lord, we often cause ourselves needless grief. For example, if we spend beyond our means to purchase alluring but unnecessary things, we could end up struggling to pay for our debts. But when we manage money in accordance with biblical principles, we’ll have freedom and peace of mind.
Here’s another example: Quitting a job before the Lord has released us from it can short-circuit what He planned to teach us, had we remained. We might subsequently discover that if we’d held on a while longer, God would have changed either our circumstances or our attitude about the situation.
Certain character qualities are necessary if we are to develop a natural inclination to wait on the Lord. We need patience to endure our present situation and steadfastness to carry out our current responsibilities. In addition, we must have courage to trust the Lord as we await His solution in the midst of our discomfort. (See Isaiah 40:31.)
Lord, thank You for being my firm, reliable cornerstone, on which I build my life. Help me to trust You and let You be my guide. Even when I want to do something else. Help me to listen to You the first and not the tenth time. Show me how to walk in You way and be after Your heart. I want to follow You, trusting You every step of the way, as I build my life on You. Thank You for being both a friend and a father, in every season You lifted me up and gave something to lean on. Help me to always lean on You, even if I think I know best. For Your wisdom transcends time. Your love leads me and makes me whole. Help me to remember that You are my Shepherd. Thank You for wanting to save and guide me, Abba. I run to You for help, in the good AND bad situations. Thank You for all You do, Lord. Please protect and guide me. In Jesus’ name amen.