Embrace God's Guidance
Pause and take a moment to reflect on the last time you truly allowed yourself to be led by someone else—the kind of leading that required you to give up control and trust the person leading you.
If we’re honest, many of us struggle in some way to completely surrender trust. And even when we do decide to surrender, we might still slightly find ourselves trying to taking back some measure of control.
We fear being hurt.
We fear vulnerability.
We fear being misled.
We fear rejection.
But here's the truth: when we place our fears in the hands of a loving God, it readies our hearts to cultivate a deeper intimacy with Him.
God knows your heart, He sees your struggles, and He's aware of your weaknesses. And He's there—right there, in the midst of your anxieties and fears—ready to guide you, teach you, and lead you to truth. Allow the words echoed by the psalmist to be your prayer today…
Responding to God at All Times
Throughout our lives, we will all experience both suffering and joy. We'll have times of great grief and times of overflowing happiness. Sometimes, they’ll be separate seasons—but other times, these experiences come together.
In either case and in any situation, James expected Christians to come to God. If someone was suffering, prayer was the call to action. If someone was cheerful, people were to pause and praise God.
This might seem obvious, but when suffering clouds our thinking, we can sometimes forget to prioritize prayer. And when things are going well and we're feeling cheerful, it’s easy to just enjoy our season and not stop long enough to praise God for it. But every season of life is actually just an opportunity to put into practice what James wrote about…
When we are suffering, let us pray. When those around us are suffering, let us pray. When we are cheerful or happy, let us praise God. When others are happy, let us praise God with ...