PROVERBS 3:6

In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

TO PONDER

As I consider this verse together with the reading from Acts chapter 8 which we heard in church on Sunday of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, I can't help but notice parallels.

Philip's story begins with Philip responding to a prompt of the Holy Spirit to "head out on the south road" - that's it, no more information than that. Now maybe the south road was fairly straight and direct, maybe not, but in submitting to that leading of the Holy Spirit, Philip is led directly to the place where God was at work and was inviting Philip to join in that work. (If you're not familiar wit the story check out Acts chapter 8).

I think that we are sometimes guilty of reading passages like this one from Proverbs and interpreting them like this, "If I submit all my ways to Jesus my life will be easy and free of obstacles." I don't think that's what's intended here. After all a straight and even road can still have trees fall across and block it and it can also have bandits and thieves hiding along the roadside waiting in ambush.

I think the more correct way to understand proverbs like this one is like what we see in the story of Philip and the Ethiopian - When we submit all our ways to God then he leads us directly to where we need to be, which is also where he is. Now this can mean different things at different times in our lives. Maybe God wants us in a certain place so that e can use us, like he did Philip, to help someone else encounter Jesus. However, he sometimes need to take us to places where he can do work "on" us before he works "through" us. Those kinds of places don't always feel like easy going. In fact, they more often feel challenging and uncomfortable, but the proverb remains true - if we submit ourselves to him in those times he sees us through and leads us to where we need to be, closer to him.

PRAYER: Gracious and Merciful Father, thank you that you have opened up the way, through your son Jesus, for us to draw near to you. I ask your forgiveness for the times and ways that I do not submit all of my life to you and ask that you would help me to do that more completely. Lead me today to wherever you want me to be and help me to see what it is that you want to achieve in and through me today. Amen

Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle