‘Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.’ Proverbs 16:3 NIV
As a follower of Jesus, your direction shouldn’t come from people and be confirmed by God, it should come from God and be confirmed by people. The Bible says: ‘The preparations of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the spirits. Commit your works to the LORD, And your thoughts will be established. The LORD has made all for Himself,’ (Proverbs 16:1-4 NKJV). You may be able to do what someone else has done and do it even better. But has God called you to do that particular thing? Before you follow someone else’s guidance, do these: 1) Check the source of their wisdom. ‘For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up success for the upright; He is a shield for those who live with integrity so that he may guard the paths of justice and protect the way of his faithful followers. Then you will understand righteousness, justice, and integrity, every good path.’ (Proverbs 2:6-9 CSB). 2) Check their motives. John writes, ‘I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened’ (Revelation 20:12 NKJV). Will one of those be the book of motives? And if it is, will your actions and accomplishments stand up under divine scrutiny? 3) Check the outcome they’re pursuing. If you seek success to have power and prestige or seek riches only to have comfort, you violate one of the core principles of God’s Word: you’re blessed to be a blessing to others.
SoulFood: Job 38-39 Luke 22:24-38 Ps 6 Pro 8:32-33
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright 2024
