 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. - Psalm 119:105 Walking in the Dark - He Said By Eddie Jones I walked in darkness, taking small steps as the trail curved down and into the woods. To my left a creek drooled over rocks, spilling into the lake. Beneath my boots the path felt smooth and I used its solid familiarity to confirm my steps. But the darkness was oppressive, cloaking the forest in a heavy blanket as tree tops formed a canopy overhead. No moon, no stars. Not even the wink of red and green running lights from an airliner. I paused and whistled for my dog. Ahead a curled finger-shaped shadow wagged, and I walked on. I could have flipped on my flashlight, but I was about to make a large decision in my life, so I needed to learn to trust in darkness. I needed to discern God's will. The Latin word for will is voluntas. It means yearning. That night, as I walked, I asked, "Lord, what do you yearn for me to do for you? What is your will for my life? Which way should I go?" He did not answer. But I walked anyway, placing one foot in front of another. Wrestling with the decision I had to make. Would this choice be a better use of my gifts? Would the other make me more loving? Which one would benefit those I love the most? Would either lead to fulfillment and a sense of peace? An hour later I walked out of the darkness. There were other paths I could have taken that night and any one of them would have led me back to my car. But I had to walk the path in darkness. I had to learn to trust in the small steps of His leading and the faint flicker of a dog's wagging tail. I had to learn to move on. What yearning has God placed in your heart? What hard choice has He asked you to make? Ask others to pray that He'll give you discernment as you ask the hard questions. Then trust the decision that He puts in your heart. Going back isn't an option. It only leads to more darkness.  |
 The Position of Submission - She Said By Cindy Sproles The text on the church sign warned, "Famous last words: I did it my way." I laughed because I've been known to do things my way, to plow forward and run ahead without thinking about the consequences until the problems in my path trip me up. There's another way that works much better. It's the path of posture. I've learned my best decision making comes when I'm on my knees with my hands clasped. God and I talk a lot when I'm like that. Well, mostly I talk. He listens. God knows I'm a lousy decision maker, so He's patient because I'm not. Lately He's been teaching me to turn to His Word for discernment. The past few weeks, when tough times tackled me, I found peace in the Psalms. I quoted His scripture back to Him. "I have suffered much, O Lord, so preserve my life according to your word." Psalm 119:107, the New Cosmopolitan Cindy Version (NCCV). Recently I had to make some tough decisions that worried me. I couldn't sleep. I threw God's words back at him again. "Your word says, 'He makes me lie down in green pastures,' so make me, Lord. Make me lie down and rest." Waiting on the Lord is hard work. I wanted to move ahead, but He said wait. This morning I picked a spot by the pond where the early mist hung heavy over the lily pads. I watched as His breath clung to the grass along the bank, moving like zephyrs across the water as the breeze ruffled the pond. The only noise I heard was the peaceful trickle of the water against the rocks, His voice whispering through creation. I closed my eyes and tried to discern His muffled message. But the Psalmist would not be quite, "Direct my footsteps according to your word," I heard him say. "And let no sin rule over me." Psalm 119:133, the New Inspirational Cindy Version. (NICV) Are you facing a tough choice? Take a moment to pause and wait upon the Lord. Give Him the chance to pop a scripture into your brain. Kneel, listen and ask, "Lord, what would you have me do? Which path is right? Guide my steps with your light." When I have hard decisions, I take the position of submission. I go to my knees and hand it to the Father, and He leads me with His word. The decisions are no easier, except I have Him to lean against and look toward.  In Christ, Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles Christian Devotions  Listen to Position of Submission by - Cindy Sproles |
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