DAILY DEVOTION
Stepping into Your New Season
By Paul Dailey
Guest Writer
CBN.com –
"Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He
shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness
as the light, and your justice as the noonday" (Psalm 37:5-6).
We have those times in our lives when it seems we have stepped
from sure footing onto shaky ground. Looking back, we find that
everything seemed so certain. But in the present we feel like
someone standing on a log in the middle of a river, frantically
moving our feet this way and that, with our arms outstretched
and trying to keep our balance.
I'm sure that's how Peter felt when he got out of the boat. Along
with the other disciples, he was in a storm, but as a fisherman,
he was used to that and the boat was a place of safety for him.
It was familiar and required relatively little faith to stay in
the boat. Despite his fear, he could go under his own strength
and do what he knew to do in order to save himself. But the minute
he stepped over the side of the boat and placed his foot solidly
on the top of that first wave, he was in foreign territory.
Walking on water isn't something you do halfway. In the same way,
you either commit totally to the Lord, or you don't. That's where
God separates the men from the boys. (No offense ladies.) However
unnerving it may be to find yourself standing in the most unlikely,
unpredictable circumstances as Peter did, it's really a place
of surety. When you put your trust in the Lord and commit to follow
Him wherever He leads, you've actually stepped out of the boat
and onto the solid rock. God will never allow you to utterly fall
when you are living by faith.
Verse six of Psalm 37 says, "He shall bring forth your righteousness
as the light." Abraham was counted righteous because of his
faith. He left his normal routine in order to follow God's voice.
From that day on, his life was changed. When his enemies attacked
him, they were destroyed. When people tried to curse him, God
cursed them. His life was indelibly etched into the tablets of
history. Isaiah 30:15 says, "In repentance and rest is your
salvation, in quietness and confidence is your strength."
If you are facing a time of uncertainty in your life right now,
I beg you to return to the Lord. Orchestrate your schedule in
such a way that you can have some time alone with the Lord. Come
back to that place of rest, the place where you first met Jesus.
You remember it, don't you? It was there, in your “Garden
of Eden”, as you walked with Jesus in the cool of the day,
that you found your confidence in God. You knew in the deepest
part of your soul the reason why you were created. You knew you
would never be alone. You knew you could never fail. Your mind
was quiet before the Lord, and He spoke without hindrance into
your life.
I'm finding more every day how invaluable these regular times
with Jesus really are. It's bearing fruit in every area of my
life. My joy has increased, which has enabled me to more boldly
share the Gospel. I'm able to see past the temporal, frustrating
circumstances that I often have to deal with and into God's plan
for me. My thoughts are more orderly. There is a peace in my heart
that is not shaken by external things. It is wonderful. It's killing
every bit of jealousy and strife in me. Worry is becoming less
of an issue. Also, it is freeing me to serve others. I could go
on and on, but I think you get the picture.
This is my prayer for you as you step into the next phase of your
life, into your new season. May the peace of God, which transcends
all understanding, guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus
(Philippians 4:7). And may you also find this beautiful place
of rest in the Lord.
Paul Dailey was raised in Smithton, Mo., and
moved to Virginia in 1999. He has served in the U.S. Navy since
1997 and is currently in training for a future of full-time ministry.
At present he is the Youth Director at Revival Life Church in
Virginia Beach, Va.
Read other devotions on CBN.com
Read
other devotions By Paul Dailey
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