“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
- Proverbs 3:5-6
One of the women I often travel with as a speaking partner for retreats has a physical condition in which she must eat a lot of protein. One particular conference, the food came out with plate after plate of delicious vegetable dishes. Finally, to my friend’s delight, a large plate full of meat was placed in front of us. When she asked what it was, she heard an elegant name of which the most important word she understood was “beef.” Mind you, she was hearing all this in another language. My friend feasted on about fifteen of these savory pieces of protein. At the end of the meal, she exclaimed to the hostess that she especially liked the beef. At which point, she was told that this specialty dish was bullfrog. Upon hearing this, my friend turned the same green color as the animal she just gobbled down!
Having limited understanding of a language can lead to some hilarious, embarrassing, or uncomfortable moments. In the same way, having limited understanding of God’s Word and His truth can bare uncomfortable results. We are warned not to lean on our own under- standing. We have limited knowledge of the future, the needs and responses of those around us, and what would be the best course of action to take in the various decisions we make in a day. The average adult makes 35,000 decisions a day! God has amazing wisdom to impart to us as we make choices. Begin your day by acknowledging to Him all that you will be doing and each person you know you will be interacting with. Ask Him to guide you in all your decision making. The next verse in Proverbs (3:7) says to not be wise in your own eyes. Humbly admit to the Lord that He is much smarter than you and that you need His wisdom and direction. Then take time to listen as you pray and read His Word.
-Sue Corl (world traveler and founder of COBI. Read more Devotionals in her book More Beautiful by the Day)
Very funny, Sue. Like you said having others on the same path keeps us from eating strange food!