October 1 – How Much Thinking is Required?
by Audrey Bauman
Proverbs 14: 15 – 16 (NLT)
15 Only simpletons believe everything they’re told!
The prudent carefully consider their steps.
16 The wise are cautious and avoid danger;
fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence.
What do you think Solomon would say about emails, Facebook, Twitter (now known as X) and Instagram?
In our fast-paced culture, it’s normal to make quick decisions. Being cautious and really thinking things over can actually be hard to do. Sometimes salespeople will tell us to accept their ‘great package’ right now, or the offer is over. It seems there are deadlines everywhere. When I was thinking about this topic, I started to wonder about how God makes decisions. Here are some verses that indicate that God doesn’t react quickly emotionally – the way we sometimes do when things don’t go our way.
Joel 2:13 (NLT)
“… return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.”
Psalm 86:15 (NASB)
“But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, Slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness and truth.”
When I think about whether God plans ahead, a passage of scripture came to my mind about how God created the world and figured out a way of salvation before He even started creating. So I thought I’d share that with you today.
Colossians 1:15-20 (NLT)
15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
16 for through him God created everything
in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through him and for him.
17 He existed before anything else,
and he holds all creation together.
18 Christ is also the head of the church,
which is his body.
He is the beginning,
supreme over all who rise from the dead.
So he is first in everything.
19 For God in all his fullness
was pleased to live in Christ,
20 and through him God reconciled
everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.
Our song for today is Trust in You by Lauren Daigle.