NorthStar Community Daily Devotional

Day 25

Scripture focus: Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes. Proverbs 26:4-5 NIV

Do you love trivia? Here’s a question for you trivia lovers: what are the five words most often spoken to me? Here are your choices: A. Your messages are too long. B. Tell me what to do. C. The devotionals are too short. D. You need a wardrobe consultant. Answer key: Although (A.) and (D.) are technically true, most people are too gracious to mutter them (the rest of you know who you are). (C.) is false; I’m never accused of brevity. Why say something in five words if you can use ten or better yet, twenty? Of course, the answer is (B.) Tell me what to do.

Suffering people struggle with anxiety, depression, and frustration. They often feel hopeless and helpless. Prayers come out in the form of moans. “To seek God when you are in hell and not able to find him is the most despairing journey of the human heart.” (p. 18 Running In Circles) In the face of two choices: asking for instructions or isolating in disconnected solitary suffering – asking is the far superior choice. The value of the asking may not lie in the answer. I suspect that the humility and willingness that a sincere “ask” requires may be far more valuable than any guru’s response. This humility and willingness are essential characteristics of a person in the midst of metamorphosis.

In Proverbs 26, verses 4 and 5, do you see a potential frustration? Within the same verse the writer gives two contradictory statements. Someone suffering from the folly of another might end up pretty confused listening to this guru’s advice. Kenny Rogers croons, “You gotta know when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em” – awesome. Tell me what to do. How do I learn when to hold and when to fold – when to speak and when to remain silent? Jesus handled his temptations in the desert with a craftsman’s precision and skill. He knew his enemy; more importantly, he knew himself. But for people prone to cyclical suffering, it’s perfectly understandable that we lack confidence in our own ability to follow his lead.

Five words: vision, identity, purpose, discipline, and belief.

If you want to acquire a big, beautiful heart in a world of hurt, do the following:

1. Learn how to see the world (both seen and unseen) through the lens of God-vision goggles [vision].

2. Learn the true identity of God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, self, and the enemy. Study their character, calling and conclusions. We have the entire story in scripture; we can read the final chapter. The story is finished. The only question that remains is how you are going to respond.

3. Discover God’s prevailing purposes. Jesus is the consummate example of one who stayed focused on God’s purposes – and his part in the story. It was this clarity of purpose that equipped him to know when to speak, and when to remain silent (Remember his trial? He remained silent; then he spoke.). In Luke four, his popularity in the polls vanishes and the crowd threatens to toss him over a cliff. On that day he folds ‘em and walks off. In the Garden of Gethsemane, he holds ‘em and waits for his accusers.

4. Practice stepping as God speaks. We aren’t Jesus, but we are promised the gift of transformation. This will require discipline. We can have the mind of Christ. But it isn’t delivered by FedEx or UPS.

5. Believe. John tells us, “The work of God is this: believe in the one He has sent.” Good intentions won’t provide the fuel to run the race. People who believe act on what they learn.

Recommended reading: Genesis 50 and Exodus 1 in the morning; Matthew 17 and Psalm 21 in the evening

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23 NIV