The Ways Of God

The way of the LORD is a refuge for the righteous,but it is the ruin of those who do evil.The righteous will never be uprooted,but the wicked will not remain in the land.

Proverbs 10:29-30 (NIV)

Today let’s focus on the phrase, “The way of the Lord is a refuge.” Many people never understand God’s ways. They read Isaiah 55:9, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways” (NKJV), and they think he is too mysterious to know. But the real point is that God’s ways are grander than ours; therefore we can’t put God in a box. He has understanding and resources and ways of accomplishing his will that are wonderfully fresh and entirely independent of human management. Ladies, we try to run our lives with far too tight a grip on the wheel. We need to loosen up a bit and give him some room to steer.

One of the methods God uses to accomplish his great plan in our life is waiting, which involves patience. But we love quick fixes and instant gratification, not patience. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day. It took forty years in the wilderness to prepare Moses to lead. And even Jesus waited until he was over thirty to begin his public ministry. If you’ve been frustrated with the waiting process, wishing God wasn’t so slow, Isaiah 40:31 has a good word for you: “But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (NKJV).

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

Another phrase in our proverb today is “the righteous will never be uprooted.” In the plant world, trees with shallow roots die in times of drought and are blown over by strong winds. Trees with deep roots have an anchor and aren’t dependent on shallow, surface water. The message is, don’t be a shallow Christian who is blown along with fads of false doctrines because you don’t know your Bible. Be a Christian who searches the Scriptures and stands strong in the truth.

One Year Bible Reading

Numbers 8:1–9:23; Mark 13:14-37; Psalm 50:1-23; Proverbs 10:29-30