A prominent quote from Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, says, “… to thine own self be true.”  There is something important about living with integrity of self.  If, in fact, we can do that — live with self‑integrity — then we can avoid the issue of self-hypocrisy.  This is important because we claim our relationship to God because we believe that God has called us to live for a higher purpose.  That faith then promotes the idea that integrity of self is raised to a higher level.  It requires that we lean on a more profound wisdom than our own — the wisdom of God by whom we were called.  It requires that we hear a clearer voice of spiritual reasoning than our own.  It requires a level of faith and trust in God that goes beyond our own righteousness.  It literally places us at a level of faith and trust in God that assures we will never stumble (trip ourselves up based on our own wisdom.). There is still something profoundly wise about the proverb that instructs us saying,

       5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

             and do not rely on your own insight.

       6 In all your ways acknowledge him,

             and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

God will make straight our paths.  And as Peter says, “ … if we do these things, we will never stumble.”  For how can we stumble if we are walking the path that our God has made straight for us?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Gracious and loving God, we express our gratitude for the guidance, wisdom, and care that enables us to live secure and productive lives through faithfulness to You.

         Our response to those who have been good to us often varies with each individual.  Our responses can run the gamut from awed silence to outrageous screams of joy.  There can be moments of tearful, unspoken gratitude to unexpected shock that leaves us dumbstruck.  How we show our gratitude is less important than that we show our gratitude and appreciation to the one who has heard our cries for mercy, protected us and responded to us in ways that have earned our trusts because of their faithfulness to do for us what they said they would do.  To that person, praise and honor are not only earned, but they are deserved.

         Praise is the natural response of God’s people when we acknowledge all that God has done for us.  When we know that God has not just heard our cries for mercy, but has answered our cries with grace our only response should be those of praise and gratitude, acknowledging that God is not only all we need, but God is also our everything — our shelter from the storm, our strength and our shield, the one in whom we trust because he has helped us over and over again.  That kind of faithfulness deserves a vocal shout of Hallelujah!

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, give me the strength to continue proclaiming my praise for all You do as I acknowledge that You are my everything.

         Life and living is much like a roller coaster.  There are ups and there are downs.  There are twists and there are turns.  There are times when the thrill of life leaves us breathless, and there are times when life can become so scary that we find ourselves unable to breathe.  These up and down, twists and turns, thrills and fearful moments can — at times — create a crisis of faith for us.  We can find ourselves at those times when life twists, drops suddenly pushing our stomachs into our throats, or causing us to recoil in fear times when we can doubt our ability to live through those times and survive.  It’s at those times when we are most likely to question whether God is with us, near us, or around us to deliver us from those challenging moments in life.

         At the same time, we can have the completely different experience when we’re riding on that four‑lane blacktop, living with the assurance that God has prepared a good place for us and a soft place for us to land if things go horribly wrong.  And it’s getting through those tough times that test us.  The answer to our dilemma — our crisis of faith — is to recognize that life has no control over God our us.  It’s only God who is there to comfort and assure us that regardless of the circumstances.  God will be and always is our strength and shield to deliver and protect us from our trials .  Even more God is there to remind us that in our past experiences, God is the one who brought us through and will bring us through again.  So, whether we’re up or down, twisted all around, filled with joy, or grieving in the valley of despair, it is our God who gives us the strength to endure every situation in life.

• Have you ever experienced a challenging life-situation and you were confident that you endured because God brought you through? What was that like for you?
• What is it about your ability to put aside your anxiety when trials come that confirms that your strength comes from your faith in God?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Almighty God, continue to be the everything to me that bolsters my confidence in my ability to remove my anxieties and find contentment in whatever situation I find myself.