Proverbs 4:18-23
The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know what makes them stumble.
My son, pay attention to what I say;
listen closely to my words.
Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;
For they are life to those who find them
and health to a man's whole body.
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
We all seem to be seeking our identity in what the world defines as being successful or being loved, when in Proverbs it clearly states that our identity is found in guarding our hearts from wordly ways and putting God first in our hearts, letting him define our success, letting him take his rightful place in our lives. I heard someone say once that there is a God-sized hole in each and every on of us, and ONLY He can fill it; not anything or anyone, our parents, our children, our significant other can fill that place and we will always have that sense of loneliness if we are using wordly ways to push Him out. The deep darkness of wordly ways will always cause us to stumble and come up short, but when we fill our hearts and minds with His words and His ways, we will find fulfillment, peace and contentment that can only come from putting God first in our lives.
There have been times in my life when I felt so lonely that I didn't know what to do or how to get rid of it; and then God shows me, that even when I try to do it on my own, he still loves me so much that he will fight for me and give me more love than I could ever imagine. My relationship with Him is such a sweet, gentle love that lifts me up when I am at my lowest. Afterall, he CHOSE me to be a child of His, I didn't have to ask for him to love me, I didn't have to show him my love to gain his... I didn't have to earn his trust or show him that I would always be there. I don't have to understand why He loves me so much, or feel bad because I think I'm not good enough to deserve His love or if I had only done something different or done more; he wouldn't leave me to figure it all out on my own. He gives it freely and unconditionally and abundantly; in a way that no human being can ever begin to show me. He is the one that IS all of those things for me. He is enough and I sometimes take that for granted. Our sinful nature wants something tangible that we can hold, touch, feel, and see to make us feel that way; when we have had it all along from the One who created us. He allows me to be okay, no matter what my circumstances, he shows me joy in the midst of pain, he helps me put one foot in front of the other when I can't do it by myself. He is everything I need; and I am thankful He never tires of showing me this!
Is He filling your God-sized hole? I'm so joyful that He is rightfully back in mine! Make today count; put God where he belongs in your life!
