WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
JULY 19, 2020
TOPIC: FOLLOW THE BEST PATHWAY FOR YOUR LIFE
BY T. O. BANSO
âThe LORD says, âI will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over youâ (Psalm 32:8 New Living Translation).
The Bible says there is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25). On the other hand, Proverbs 12:28 says the way of the godly leads to life; that path does not lead to death.
Some routes may seem to lead to a destination, but they could be misleading and dangerous. There is always the best pathway to follow.
God made you and knows the best pathway you should follow. However, He wonât force you. He has made His mind known in His Word. It is your responsibility to find it out and obey Him. It is also your responsibility to ask Him what He wants you to do and not assume that you know the right thing.
After the LORD encountered Saul on his way to Damascus, he asked Him, âLord, what do You want me to do?â (Acts 9:6 New King James Version). And He told him exactly what to do, which was the best pathway for him.
You must not trust your intelligence and live independent of God. Without Him you can do nothing (John 15:5). According to Psalm 127:1-2, âUnless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleepâ (New King James Version). Without God, you canât know and follow the best pathway for your life. You will always need God. He knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10).
God knows the best pathway for your life. You can trust Him, even when He doesn’t seem to make sense. Look at this: “When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land” (Exodus 13:17a New Living Translation).
Why did God do that? Verses 17b-18a tell us: “God said, ‘If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.’ So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea” (New Living Translation). You can trust God’s judgment. If He decides that a longer, roundabout route is the best pathway for you, willingly follow Him. Don’t desire a shorter route. God knows what He is doing!
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6). Let God direct you to the best pathway. Your brain alone is not enough to direct you to the best pathway!
David prayed a very important prayer in Psalm 25:4. He said, âShow me the path where I should walk, O LORD; point out the right road for me to followâ (New Living Translation). He prayed a similar prayer in Psalm 86:11a, âTeach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truthâ (New King James Version). Why?
There are many paths, which seem to be right, but are not. Obviously, David didnât want to make a mistake. Many have followed such wrong paths and have suffered serious consequences. They thought they were smart, but eventually saw their own limitations without God’s guidance. The prayer David prayed is one of the most important prayer points you must keep praying.
David allowed us to know how God leads people to follow the right path. He prayed in Psalm 25:5 that the LORD should lead him by His truth and teach Him. That’s referring to the Word of God. âYour word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my pathâ (Psalm 119:105 New King James Version).
God has not hidden His truth from His children. He has made it to be written in the Bible. It is left for you to study your Bible and listen to Bible-based messages to know His truth and let the truth of His Word guide your life. Moreover, He has given His children the Holy Spirit to guide them into all truth (John 16:13).
The psalmist says in verse 59 of Psalm 119, âI pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your statutesâ (New Living Translation). Have you pondered the direction of your life or thought about your ways? If your findings donât agree with the Word of God, repent and follow the best pathway shown in Godâs Word. When you know the truth of Godâs Word and apply it to your life, the truth shall make you free (John 8:32).
According to Psalm 32:8, âThe LORD says, âI will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over youâ (New Living Translation). God wants to guide you along the best pathway, but He wonât coerce you. Isaiah 1:19 says if youâre willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land. If you take counsel from the LORD, you canât stray from the best pathway in life. If the LORD is your counselor, you canât go into error. When He is your teacher, you can’t fail!
Do you fear the LORD? Not a negative fear, but a healthy fear â reverence for the LORD. If you want the LORD to show or teach you the best pathway for your life, you must fear Him. In other words, you must reverence Him. âWho are those who fear the LORD? He will show them the path they should chooseâ (Psalm 25:12 New Living Translation). This has great benefits (verses 13-14).
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 9:10, 1:7). It is also a fountain of life and leads to life (Proverbs 14:27; 19:23).
The beginning of following the best pathway for your life is to give your life to Jesus. Have you surrendered your life to Jesus? If youâre not born again, repent of your sins today and accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. Whoever comes to Him, He will by no means cast out.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life â your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible believing and Bible teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The LORD be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Father, guide me along the best pathway for my life; advise me and watch over me. Show me the path where I should walk; point out the right road for me to follow. Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth.
(For over 300 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit: www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President, Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
  
  
  
  
