Life's Daily Challenge Devotional

Established footsteps

“Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. Ponder the path of your feet and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or to the left; remove your foot from evil." Proverbs 4:25-27.

Dear established one,

Yesterday we talked about having an established heart. Once your heart has been anchored in the Lord, other parts of your life can also be established by Him. This passage in Proverbs promises your way can be established. How many times do you go through life just hoping you’ve made the right decisions? People worry and fret as if their destiny depended on them carefully weighing all of the facts so they can make exactly the right choices. The problem with all this is the Bible promises that things that seem to be stable will surely shift. When you build upon shifting circumstance, your most well-laid plans will be spoiled.

You don't have to know the future if you know the one who owns the future. You really don't ever have to make any choices other than to obey or disobey God. He promises that if you will trust Him with all of your heart, and not depend on your own understanding, He will direct your paths (Prov. 3:5-6). The real secret to success in this area is being able to hear God clearly and to discern His voice from the many other voices around you. Though many Christians do not hear the voice of God, it is a privilege offered to every believer. In John 10 Jesus said His sheep will know His voice.

Like everything else in the Kingdom of God, hearing His voice is a matter of faith. You must believe, not only that God can speak to you, but that He will. God is sharing His wisdom at all times (Proverbs 1:20-33). He wants to make it personal to you. When you expect to hear Him, you can tap into His thoughts, emotions and impressions. Test what you hear with the Word of God and with mature leaders in the faith. When you are uncertain, wait for His confirmation. You’ll get more accurate the more you practice your faith. Once you begin to hear the voice of God on a regular basis, it will be easy for you to follow the course He has chosen for you. This is one of the greatest secrets to true success!