We’ve been using the summer season this year to reflect on how our relationship with God transforms our routines and the mundane into matters of eternal significance. This third devotion from the book of Proverbs continues to challenge us to move beyond human experts and AI to hear the voice of God:

IN WORD – We are starved for direction. We live in a world that presents us with a multitude of options. Some can be ruled out easily, but many of them seem good. What will we do? Whom should we relate to? Where will we go? When should we move forward? We don’t know enough about the future to make such decisions well. We try to make sound choices and hope for the best. We want more information; but we hesitate when we find that God’s plan for us first requires casting our all on Him.
That’s why horoscopes are so appealing to so many. They offer direction without making any demands on our character. They promise information without requiring the hard work of submission to God and acceptance of His work on our fallen hearts. But God loves us too much for that. Getting direction from Him means, first and foremost, getting Him. His Spirit shapes us, His wisdom becomes a part of us, and the substance of godliness molds us into a form of godliness.
IN DEED – God is not usually an oracle-giver; He’s a life-transformer. He usually directs us not by passing on information about what we’re to do, but by fundamentally altering us from within. He changes our character, our outlook, our priorities. Then we are directed by the person God has made us into—a new creation governed by the indwelling Jesus.
This is a shock to our system, but it’s essential. That is why this proverb does not simply start with: “He will make your paths straight.” There are conditions. We trust Him with all our heart. We refuse to lean on our own understanding. We acknowledge His sufficiency—implying our own insufficiency—in everything. Then He makes our paths straight. Why? Because He is present. We have not simply used Him for His vast information, we have invited Him to come along on the journey. God always gives His very best to those who leave the choice with Him. —Hudson Taylor (in “Walk with God” by Chris Tiegreen)

Pastor Rick Warren once shared that God’s purpose for our lives is not to make us comfortable but to make us people of character (he also shared that the role of pastors is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable!).
But most people want or prefer comfort – health, wealth, and a trouble-free life. But we all know that there can never be real security and lasting peace because this is a sinful world; it’s just wishful thinking.
This is why God focuses on making people of character who can navigate, withstand, and overcome any and every situation. And when we lack the ability to do so, God promises to strengthen us and carry us through.
If you need a reminder, take time this week to read 1 Peter. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s way to a straight path. Have a blessed week! from Taipei, Pastor Sam