Read Proverbs 4:25-27
Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.—Proverbs 4:25 (NIV)
As my five-year-old granddaughter learns to ride her bike without training wheels, she loves to join me on bike rides. I choose safe routes with minimal traffic and watch as she gains confidence in her balance and skill. Yet she still needs verbal reminders to keep her eyes on the road. Every duck, unique rock, or pretty flower distracts her. Turning her attention away from the road, she veers off the path, sometimes resulting in near disaster.
I can also become distracted and swerve off course. For example, when I am discouraged, I find myself focusing on the negative things of life. I take my eyes off the road and end up floundering in grief and self-pity, crashing into thorns of despair. Fixing my eyes on God, who is leading the way, helps to keep me on the path.
My granddaughter has my voice to direct her focus back on the road ahead. I’ve learned that I can also hear the voice of God calling me back to the road when I spend time with God, pray unceasingly, trust God, and express gratitude. In God, I always have someone looking out for my best interests.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for going before us and protecting us when we don’t realize it. Help us to trust in you and hear your voice as you call us back to your path. Amen.
Thought for the day: God is always looking out for my best interests.
—Peg Arnold, Colorado