What Do You Need Most?
'What do you want me to do for you?' Jesus asked him. The blind man said, 'Rabbi, I want to see.'
(Mark 10:51)
Suppose one night you had a 'Solomon dream'. Or, like the blind beggar, Jesus asked you, 'What do you want me to do for you?' What would you say?
'Lord, my family's in turmoil; my parents (or children) row continuously and treat me like dirt. I need a happy home.'
Or would you reply, 'My finances are a mess; I need more money!' 'My marriage is in trouble; I need my wife (husband) to love me again.' 'My job is getting me down; I need a change.' 'I'm lonely; I need a friend.' 'I need more time every day!.'
Some of us have so many needs that our list would be tragically long, but Solomon asked for only one thing - wisdom. God-given wisdom allows us to see people, problems, events and situations through God's eyes, with His perspective; then He helps us act and react to them as He would. So, rather than asking for a happy home, God's wisdom would help us manage family members so well that peace would be restored and we would gain their respect. Wisdom helps us handle our existing money efficiently. Rather than asking for the love of a spouse, wisdom shows us how to be a better spouse ourselves. Instead of asking for a change, wisdom gives us the ability to cope where we are. Wisdom would bring friends because it shows us how to relate, and be a good friend to others. Most of us need wisdom to manage time and juggle priorities rather than more hours in each day!
Stop for awhile in God's presence and 'walk with Him', by imagination, through the various areas of your life, asking yourself where you most need His wisdom.
With a view to contemplation...
the view from son Ben's office. I doubt I'd get much work done with a view like that!
From Our Daily Bread devotional booklet...
Where Choices Lead - Psalm 1
'The Lord watches over the way of the righteous' (Psalm 1:6)
With no cell service and no trail map, we had just our memory of a fixed map at the trailhead to guide us. More than an hour later, we finally emerged from the woods into the parking lot. Having missed the turn off that would have made for a half mile hike, we took a much longer trek.
Life can be like that: we have to ask not simply if something is right or wrong, but where it will lead. Psalm 1 compares two ways of living - that of the righteous (those who love God) and that of the wicked (the enemies of those who love God). The righteous flourish like a tree, but the wicked blow away like chaff (vv 3-4). This psalm reveals what flourishing really looks like. The person who lives it out is dependent on God for renewal and life.
So how do we become that kind of person? Among other things, Psalm 1 urges us to disengage from destructive relationships and unhealthy habits and to delight in God's instruction (v2). Ultimately, the reason for our flourishing is God's attentiveness to us. "The Lord watches over the way of the righteous" (v6).
Commit your way to God, let Him redirect you from old patterns that lead nowhere, and allow the Scriptures to be the river that nourishes the root system of your heart.
- Glenn Packiam
What friendships or habits do you need to make a break from? How can you create more time in your schedule to read the Bible?
Dear Jesus, give me the grace to turn away from the things leading me down the wrong path. Lead me to the river of Your presence, and nourish me with the Scriptures. Make my life faithful and fruitful for Your honour.
On the right path...
granddaughter Hazel: with God's help throughout life, on the right path and headed in the right direction
Yes, let us hope little Hazel always goes in the right direction! :)
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