Calculate

7/5/2020

Psalm 37:5 “Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.”

Did you ever make a decision without prayerfully seeking God’s direction and will first? I sure have, and those times do not often go well. When we do things in our own will and strength, we often begin to worry about the outcome, because something associated with the issue may just not feel or go quite right. Then anxiety comes into play, and guilt could set in as a result. Chambers writes, “Don’t calculate without God. God seems to have a delightful way of upsetting the things we have calculated on without taking Him into account.” This is, I believe, not to harm us, but rather to get our attention. God wants to be a part of every area of our lives, and when we shut him out, even unintentionally, we feel it.

We are to put God first in all areas of our lives, even pragmatic decisions that we face. If we are putting Him above all, consulting Him about everything becomes the most natural thing. This is true with any good and healthy relationship. Honesty and openness breeds connection and trust. Even if we sometimes find it difficult to be this way with other people, we should never feel this way about God.

Chambers also counsels, “Don’t calculate with the evil in view.” As we walk through any average day, it is easy to forget that there is a relentless spiritual battle for our souls. Satan wants to constantly undo us and shake our faith, so that we are ineffective for God. If we take our focus off of God, it is easy to fall into one of the evil one’s traps. We must put on God’s full armor and be devoted to the battle against evil. With what is happening in the world right now, this is more important than ever. We must seek God first in all things and keep our focus solidly on Him.

Will you join me as a warrior for Jesus?