April 14, 2023 Devotional
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Have you ever been faced with a difficult decision between two good things? Maybe you have to choose between two job offers, or two potential relationships, or two opportunities to serve in ministry. It’s not always easy to know which path to take, especially when both options seem appealing.
But the Bible gives us some examples of people who faced similar dilemmas and made the choice to say no to something good in order to say yes to something better. One of these examples is found in Luke 10, where Mary chose to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to Him speak while her sister Martha was busy with preparations for their meal. Martha became frustrated with her sister and asked Jesus to tell Mary to help her, but Jesus commended Mary for choosing what was better. In other words, Mary recognized that spending time with Jesus was more important than any other task she could be doing at that moment.
Another example is found in the life of Moses, who was offered the opportunity to be a prince in Egypt, but instead chose to identify with his Hebrew people and suffer with them. And in the New Testament, the apostle Paul chose to give up his prestigious position as a Pharisee and all of his worldly accomplishments in order to follow Jesus and proclaim the gospel.
What can we learn from these examples? First, we can learn that sometimes the good can be the enemy of the best. It’s easy to get distracted by tasks or opportunities that seem important but may not be the best use of our time and energy. We need to be intentional about prioritizing our relationship with Christ and seeking His guidance in all our decision-making.
Second, we can learn that following Jesus often requires sacrifice. Saying yes to something better may mean saying no to something that is comfortable or familiar. It may mean stepping out of our comfort zones or taking risks that we wouldn’t normally take. But when we trust in Jesus and follow His lead, we can be confident that He will guide us to the best possible outcome.
So today, I encourage all of us to take a moment to reflect on any decisions we are facing. Let us ask God for help discerning which path to take and for the strength to be willing to say no to something good to say yes to something better. May we trust that God’s plans for our lives are good even when things may not seem very good. For we follow a Savior that has promised to not only be with us every step of this journey but also to guide the direction of every step.
