Let the Word Light Your Path - The Crosswalk Devotional - January 27
Let the Word Light Your Path
By Michelle Lazurek
Bible Reading:
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105
“Should I take this new job or not?”
This was a difficult decision for me to make. Taking on more responsibility meant less time for me to be available for my family, and I wanted to take it seriously. I prayed about it, but I received nothing but silence from God. I didn't know what to do, so I searched Scripture.
As I searched scripture, I read John 6:27, “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that gives you eternal life…” I realized that I was taking the job because I was finding my worth and value in how much I made. I was working to earn money, which quickly faded away, disregarding the eternal impact God cares about. I quickly realized my identity was forged from how much money was in my pocket.
If I made less money than I felt I was worth, my identity was in cash, not God. I'd forgotten that God is Lord of all. He's the one who gives us our daily bread. He's the one who provides for us and gives us everything we need. Our worth and value are not formed in what we do but rather who he is.
That's the type of identity God wants for all of us. Whether we make a lot less money for the work we do or make a lot of money for the work we do, our identity will never be formed through cash. Money comes and goes.
Money does not define us. Once I realized the more profound issue behind why I was struggling with taking the job, I realized that by taking the job, I would forge my identity in my career and not in God. By consulting the Lord in scripture, the scripture illuminated my mind to the deeper issue that was going on.
Often, we have deeper issues that fuel the decisions we make in life. If we have problems unprocessed within our soul: unforgiveness, resentment, rage, anger, and unforgiveness, we will allow those deep issues to skew how we see the world. It will become a hindrance between knowing God and living each day as a child of the king.
Scripture is not something to merely check off a to-do list. Its purpose is to illuminate our life. It is to illuminate our past to see how to get where we want to go. God calls us to proclaim the gospel to the masses. But we can't do that when we have unprocessed issues in our soul.
When our greed for money and deep feelings of worth and value are rooted in things other than God, the Scriptures cannot illuminate our path. However, when we effectively deal with the issues in our soul, process our hurt, forgive others, and embrace our identity as God's children, the word of God can genuinely illuminate our path.
Take a moment and analyze your life. Are there any issues in your soul that you have not fully processed? Do you have unforgiveness toward others? Do you have unprocessed trauma that you have stuffed rather than dealing with effectively? Have you allowed bitterness, rage, or anger to rule your life? Carve out sometime within the next week to spend some quiet time with God. Take your time with him. Spend extended times simply praying.
Ask the Lord to recall anything hindering you from having a relationship with him. When these issues come to mind, deal with them. Cry if you must. Pour out your heart to God. Tell him everything that's going on in your life. You may be surprised to find how cathartic it is. At worst, you'll leave your time feeling lighter because God has carried your burdens. At best, you will have given your issues to the one who can turn any situation around for his good.
Father, let us be people whose word illuminates our path. Please help us understand the deeper reasons we do what we do. Let us allow scripture to penetrate our hearts, transform our minds, and lead us to repentance. Let us be different people because we read your word and allowed it to transform our hearts. Amen.
Intersecting Faith and Life
Are there areas in your soul that have gone unprocessed? In what ways can you process that trauma today?
Further Reading
Proverbs 3:5-6
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/krisanapongdetraphiphat
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