My Daily Bread (Day 52) – Seeking God’s Guidance during Better Times

⁴ Show me Your ways, O LORD;
Teach me Your paths.
⁵ Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day.

Psalms 25:4-5 [NKJV]

Hey my fellow readers, fellow believers & non-believers too. I sincerely hope and pray that your week has been okay. And even if it wasn’t, I hope and wish that you will have a much better one in the coming week. Seeing that today is also the 1^st June (which is the beginning of a new month), and it is also around the same timing as the official start of my new career opportunity, I thought I would take this time to really sit down, read the Bible and to share my daily bread reflections with you.

Ever since I’ve restarted my efforts and commitment to this daily bread routine, most of my morning prayers are usually pretty much about the same. The only difference from day-to-day is when I am facing the different difficulties and challenges and I needed God’s help to give me the strength and grace to face [overcome] them. The part that stays the same everyday is when I would always ask God to bless me with His wisdom and understanding. And that He would continue to keep speaking to me through His word (the Bible).

The reason that I always include that in my daily prayers to God is because I understand that as believers, we need His wisdom and guidance, not just when times are challenging in our lives, but also when times are better. Interestingly, I used to think that it is only during the challenging times in our lives that we need His guidance more. But I was actually wrong. I think when things are really bad in our lives, we will naturally be more sensitive and atuned to our circumstances. Hence, we will naturally try to be more prudent and exercise more wisdom, self-discipline and self-control. It is because we have all the challenges constantly in our face, reminding us that we need to exercise all of the above. That is actually much easier to do during hard times in our lives.

The true challenge is during easier, better times. That is when we tend to become more complacent. That is when we might begin to relax a little, and not pay as much attention. We become less self-disciplined and perhaps exercise less self-control too. That is when we often make the biggest mistakes.

Facing My Biggest Challenge Yet

Now that I have officially begun my new career opportunity, and have the prospect of a stable income, you might think that the biggest challenge in my life is finally over. All the stuff that I had been suffering from and struggling with for the past 2 years plus, heck, the last 19 years; you might be tempted to assume, “Yes, it is finally over! Things are getting better finally.”

Yes, it is partly true that things will eventually get better for my personal situation. That part I won’t deny. But the part that is also inaccurate/wrong, is that my challenges are over. As I am reading Psalms 25:4-5 today, I am being reminded by the Spirit of God that my true challenge is still ahead of me, not behind me. The greatest challenge for me now, is how will I constantly remind myself that I still need His guidance, and to not drop the ball when it comes to practicing my daily bread routine/commitment. The greatest challenge for me is to not become complacent, to relax and think that everything is going to be okay now, so maybe I won’t have to rely on God as much as I did before.

The two ways that I’ve already thought about are to keep doing my private journal entries, to keep doing these daily bread entries. They serve as a way to always remind me that I still need God, and that I am still a work-in-progress. And I still have so much that I need to learn about how to live practically as a Christian.

But I believe that I have the very first step nailed down – having the willingness and constant yearning for God’s guidance and wisdom on a daily basis. The next step obviously is to put that wisdom and guidance into action. Seeking wisdom and guidance from God isn’t about asking Him for answers, or expecting Him to provide immediate answers to our prayers. Seeking His guidance is also about learning to trust that He will guide us on where to go and what to do at the right timing, His timing.

Personal Prayer for Today

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for speaking to me on a daily basis now, especially through Your word. Thank You for showing me that while my circumstances are improving and will gradually get better, that my greatest challenges aren’t over yet.

Knowing that my greatest challenges are still ahead will certainly remind me to constantly be humble. I know that I still have a lot to learn, and I still have much growing to do as a Christian. Thank You for showing me that at least for now, I have that first requirement nailed down – a willingness to seek guidance and to be guided by You.

I know that that is actually the easier part. The next part is the one that will be challenging – to keep acting upon the wisdom and guidance that You have provided on a daily basis. Especially on days when it’s tempting to want to do things that are more convenient for me, or in my own self-interests.

So I pray and ask that You will always remind me to be humble, and that it is with Your guidance and wisdom that I can led the most fulfilling life.

I vow to give You all of my praises and all of the glory. In Jesus’ name I pray.

Amen.