“Our lives are not puzzles to be figured out. Rather, we come to God, who knows us and reveals to us the truth of our lives. The fundamental mistake is to begin with ourselves and not God. God is the center from which all life develops.” Eugene Peterson
“O Lord , you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!” (Psalms 139:1-6)
“The fundamental mistake is to begin with ourselves and not God.” Sadly, this is where all of our problems develop. Most of us have been told our entire lives that we are the masters of our own universe. We know what is best for our lives. We know how we should live. We don’t need God’s help. A simple gaze at society around us will let us know how flawed that thinking really is.
For anyone who has read the Bible, we understand that this has been mankind’s problem from the very beginning. The serpent asked Eve, “Did God really say…?” The implication is that obviously we know more about how to run our lives than the One who created us. In reality, we only begin to understand who we are when we come to know our Heavenly Father. As Augustine said, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”
Action Step: Read and meditate on Psalm 139 this week and see what the Holy Spirit might say to you. Write down any insights that pop out at you.
David and Annie are serving the Lord in the US, Africa, South America, and India. Would you consider joining their team? Just click here to get involved. Thanks so much!
