When I was younger, I had a really cool sports car. It liked to get up and go, and I had a heavy foot. It wasn’t long before I was caught going over the speed limit. I went to the judge and asked to take defensive driving so that it wouldn’t go on my record. I took the class from a friend’s dad who taught them on Saturday’s. I was embarrassed to be there, but I did it. However, I didn’t learn my lesson. Less than a year later I was back. Over lunch, he said, “Let me tell you a little secret. You need to start looking 30 seconds up the road instead of right in front of you. If you learn to do that, you’ll make better decisions and see things before they’re right in front of you.”
In Matthew 4, we read where Jesus was tempted by the devil. The devil tried to get him to turn stones into bread, to jump off the Temple to prove He was God’s son and bow down to him in exchange for the world’s kingdoms. In each case, Jesus refuted him with the Word of God. Satan was trying to get Jesus to go for things in the moment to satisfy the human nature of wanting things now. Because Jesus knew the Word of God, and was guided by the Spirit, He didn’t go for what was right in front of Him. Instead, He looked down the road at the purpose for which He was sent, trusted God’s Word and made the right decision.
Psalm 119:105 says, “Truth’s shining light guides me in my choices and decisions; the revelation of your Word makes my pathway clear” (TPT). Others versions will say it is a lamp to your feet and a light to your path. Knowing God’s Word is critical for us believers. One of the ways it helps us is to help us look forward down the path, so we can make the right decisions. It’s light shines on our present situation as well so that we can see what’s really going on and choose wisely. The wisdom and perspective it gives will help us in all areas of our lives. In order to put it in our mind and heart, we must study it, learn it and memorize it. God has given us all we need in it, but it’s up to us to open it up and use it to help us in our present and down the road.
Photo by Bogdan Kozlovskyi on Unsplash
Devotions by Chris Hendrix 