Devotion: Conviction
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.
Proverbs 3:5-6
As believers, we know we can and should trust God to be in charge of our lives. We hear what God has has to say about our lives and actions through the Holy Spirit and through His Word.
We lean on God, rather than Google or our friends or our intuitions, even when it’s hard, because we know God will always be with us, and always has our best interest at heart, even if it sometimes involves painful situations along the way. This obedience and conviction is one of the characteristics of a follower of Jesus sets us apart.
How do we know that we can actually rely on Jesus and His power?
First, as I write this, I am in the mountains of Patagonia, and for those of us who worship the Creator rather than the creation, we know that a Lord who can create this beauty can do anything that may seem impossible to us In fact, God already has.
Second, when you’ve lived into the sixth decade of your life as a child of God, you can see so many times when the Lord has proven faithful in ways you could not have imagined or created.
And of course the Word contains many personal testimonies from the apostles who went to their deaths testifying to the reality of the Risen Lord who keeps promises and triumphs over even death.
Like the disciples, we are convicted of the goodness of God by both the things we see and those we cannot see.
Dearest Creator Lord, your strength and love is obvious in the world around us, in the day to day ways you guide us, and in the Word you left to us. When one thing doesn’t do the trick, thank you for your gracious provision of another alternative. Help me always to lean on your wisdom and guidance. Amen
Written by Lori Snyder-Sloan
Lori Snyder-Sloan is new to Sheridan, having been a life-long child of God. In her past life she served in healthcare as an Infection Preventionist for CHI Health, and currently enjoys volunteering as a nurse and working part-time from home. She is the wife of Jon Sloan and the mother of married children in Florida and Oregon, a bonus-daughter in Germany and two pups at home. Her family is the highlight of her life, however she also enjoys raising plants, reading, crocheting, Bible study, time with friends, and cross-fit workouts. She and Jon currently live in Omaha, but after the remodel of the family home, they will move back to Lincoln in early June.