Daily Devotional for Tuesday, January 16

The Relay

“Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him,” 2 Samuel 17:16.

Have you ever heard someone say that he was looking for a sign from God, or maybe he did something because it “must have been a sign?” The biggest fallacy with looking for a sign to do anything is that if you are looking hard enough, you can find it. In other words, we can visualize signs that are not actually there. So, why do we rely on such arbitrary guidance? Because it usually aligns with what we want. You may coincidentally open your Bible to the book of Job, but that does not mean that God is telling you to find another job! But you can definitely interpret it that way, if you are looking to change careers.

Advice often has the same outcome. Have you ever gotten bad advice? More specifically, have you ever gotten bad advice that seemed like good advice when you got it? Why did it seem like good advice? Chances are, it was because it was the advice you wanted to get. If you really want to change jobs, but you are not sure it is a good idea, it is much easier to consider doing it if someone tells you that you should. We have all made decisions based on seemingly good advice or ludicrous signs that we eventually regretted.

Absalom did not like the sound advice he got from Ahithophel. Hushai’s plan was more appealing to him, so he listened to Hushai (2 Samuel 17:14). But it really was not about the plans of either of these men. God knew Absalom’s ego and that he wanted to personally destroy David and all his men. God’s plan is always best. God made a way through Hushai for David and his men to escape, while Absalom was eventually killed.

JUST A THOUGHT
Here is your sign: no matter what you are doing, seek God’s guidance first.

Chris Floyd