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September 10, 2019
Now What, Lord? |
“Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.’” John 11:9-10 (ESV)
What is the truth, Lord?
All day long, my thoughts and feelings ping-ponged back and forth. I’d always felt that I knew the truth about this particular problem, but now confusion wormed its way in.
It terrified me.
Scouring the internet, I read article after article. This digging only left me more discouraged and upset. It was here that I begged the Lord to help me know the truth.
Tears streaming down my face, I headed to the kitchen to begin dinner. Hungry stomachs don’t wait for wobbly hearts. Upon entering, I discovered my husband was already at work. Letting him take it from there, I pulled up a stool and unloaded my heart. Hearing the root of my pain, he simply reminded me of the words of Jesus: Love God. Love people.
Once again, the simple truth of Jesus’ words began to settle my soul: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30-31, NIV).
While these verses didn’t answer all the details of my dilemma, they did answer the question of my next step: Simply love. Loving God and loving people is always our next right move.
In John 11, the disciples are questioning Jesus’ next move. He told them they were going to Judea. The disciples reminded Jesus that His enemies were there, ready to stone Him.
In fact, “Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him’” (John 11:9-10).
Jesus Himself said He is the light of the world. (John 8:12) So if I choose to walk with Him in the light, He provides through the truth of His Word, and He’ll keep me from walking in darkness. In His Word and through His Holy Spirit living in us, He provides the light we need.
I can’t say I completely understand the complex situation I continue to ponder. I don’t believe we can understand everything all the time. His wisdom is “a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began” (1 Corinthians 2:7b, NIV). That’s one of the many things that makes Him God and you and me human. What I do have is the light already given to me in the Bible: Love God and love people.
Those two are enough to keep me busy for the rest of my life.
Dear Jesus, figuring out the answers to our dilemmas can be hard sometimes. They are not as clear as we’d like them to be. Thank You for Your Word to point us to You and show us just how we can make our next right move. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
TRUTH FOR TODAY:
1 John 2:10, “Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is no cause of stumbling in him.” (BSB)
RELATED RESOURCES:
We’re all waiting on something in life and can wonder if God sees us or if He even cares. It's our prayer that Encouragement for Right Now, a collection of topical devotions, will serve as your reminder that God will not abandon you, no matter how long you’ve been waiting. There’s only one week left to donate to Proverbs 31 Ministries and get your copy, as our way of saying thanks! Donate today!
Are you struggling to find your next right move? Lynn Cowell’s Bible study, Make Your Move: Finding Unshakable Confidence Despite Your Fears and Failures, will help you find your way past your fears and failures to grasp God’s truth.
CONNECT:
Whatever problem you’re struggling to solve, God’s Word supplies us with the encouragement we need to make our next move. Click here to receive a free download when fear of the wrong move is causing you to not move.
REFLECT AND RESPOND:
If a problem in your life is pushing you toward turmoil, what Scripture can you carry today to push your heart back to truth? We’d love to hear yours in our comments section!
Here are a few to get you started:
- Joshua 21:45, “Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.” (NIV)
- Luke 1:37, “For the word of God will never fail.” (NLT)
- Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (NIV)
© 2019 by Lynn Cowell. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
630 Team Rd., Suite 100
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org
Originally published Tuesday, 10 September 2019.
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