Devotionals

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Proverbs 3:5
(excerpt from Morning Meditations by Martin Wiles)
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. (NLT)
Has life ever handed you a situation you didn’t appreciate but had little if any control over? It did to little Opie in the Andy Griffith episode Opie the Birdman. With a new slingshot and a promise not to shoot any living thing, Opie leaves the courthouse to try out his new weapon.
Approaching home, Opie hears a noise in the tree, and without thinking shoots in the same direction. Immediately a mother bird falls from the tree. Opie is devastated and Andy disappointed. Reminding his son that being sorry is not the magic word, Andy challenges Opie to take responsibility for the baby birds whose mother will not return.
Opie does a spectacular job of caring for the babies. Soon they are flopping around the cage ready to escape, but Opie fears he hasn’t done enough. Perhaps they can’t fly or take care of themselves. Andy finally convinces him to set them free. While the cage is now empty, the trees are full again.
Opie was dealt a hand he had no control over. I’ve been given a few myself. In fact, my list of unwanted situations could partially fill a book. From financial setbacks and deaths of friends and family members to family breakdown and rebellious children. From loss of job to loss of home. Most circumstances had nothing to do with decisions I had made. They just arrived uninvited. Like Opie I had to decide what I would do. Take responsibility and move forward or wallow in self pity.
I’ve concluded a fulfilled life is only experienced when we take responsibility for the situations we are dealt-good or bad. Rather than pondering why God allowed it or blaming Him for it, it is more productive to discover valuable lessons in it. When we do, the trees of our life fill with new sounds: patience, trust, new insights, humility, and awe of a mighty God who is strong enough to carry us through any circumstance.
Prayer: Lord, even when the way is dark, let me follow the light of faith in You. www.morningliteministry.com

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