Wednesday Reading: Proverbs 23:13
Key Verse: Proverbs 23:13
13 The lazy one says, There is a lion outside; I shall be killed in the streets.
Devotion:
What sort of excuses have you come up with lately to not do things? When I hear some of the excuses that I used to make when I was much younger I cringe at the thought that I had the nerve to actually think that anyone would believe them at all; yet at the time I probably used them with all the sincerity that I could manage. When it was time for me to come forward and take over the youth group at our church I wanted to come up with any number of excuses to try and put it off for a while – but God had other plans!
There are going to be times in our lives when we do not want to be the one who has to face what we may think of as a roaring lion in the streets but what actually is something God had planned for us all along. It is those times when we have to put aside our excuses and stand forward to be counted with God. He is the one standing waiting for us to take that step forward. He is the one patiently waiting whilst we work out our excuses! At that stage we are just like Jonah, wanting to run the other way from the pending doom that we have dreamt up. Just like the Children of Israel coming up with excuses not to go forward into the land that God had promised them, we make it sound oh so terrible out there.
Enough with the excuses! Now is the time to take a step forward and to be counted as one with Christ. We are not going to be eaten by any lions unless we step out the back door instead of the front door. Don’t let the evil one put doubts into your head when Christ has asked you to step forward with Him. There is nothing he can do against Christ.
God has a job for each one of us to do and each one of those jobs is just as important as others because it is part of His plan. We do not know His plan, but we sure can be a part of it if we are willing to take on anything in His name. You never know, you could be the next lion tamer!
Points to Ponder:
What is your favourite excuse?
Do you really think God cannot see through you too?
