The Bible for Women

Weekly Devotional

Guidance

How many times a day do we ask for guidance? Paul encouraged us to "Pray without ceasing" and I believe that most of us do just that. We wake up in the morning in a mindset of prayer. We want our whole lives to give glory to God but also to have his hand in our everyday decisions. Many times we encounter what we consider a "big" decision and we want God's guidance more than ever. We trust him. We know that he has the right answers and we want so much to choose the right answers as well. God has given us the answers in his Word. We must be constantly in the Word seeking and finding those answers. Christ promises us that if we seek we will find. And we will.

Many times we want something so much that we try and justify our choices or our decisions and we don't pray sincerely and we don't seek sincerely. Our mindset is of this world and not of Christ. Many times instead of committing our plans to the Lord (Proverbs 16:3), we are more committed to our own plans and our own goals and somehow we want God to fit into our plans. Many times we have our lives planned: I will marry this kind of person, my children will go to this school and make these kind of grades, my children will go to this college and will marry this person, my house will be paid off at this time and then I will have the money to buy such and such, I estimate that my debt will be gone by this particular year and I can retire at this age and do such and such. Oh what a tragedy- because we did not count on everything in between. We did not count on all of the trials and all of the unexpected things that God has put before us so that we can lean on him and not on ourselves.

The following are some scriptures we can use to help us lean on our Father, to understand his discipline, and remind us to seek righteousness not things of this world.

James 1:5 "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."

Psalm 32:8 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you, says the Lord."

Proverbs 6:22-23 "When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep they will watch over you; when you wake, they will speak to you. For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life."

Psalm 37:23-24 "If the Lord delight's in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called acording to his purpose."

John 14:23-24 "Jesus replied, 'If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me."

Psalm 25:4-5 " Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long."

Hosea 6:3 "Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth."

Psalm 31:3 "O Lord, since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me."

May God bless your week. Margie