Treasured Predictability- We Can Always Count On God!
Is predictability a good thing? It is when it comes to the Lord! According to the Bible, we know that we can always count on God!
Treasured Predictability
I gave today’s devotional the title “Treasured Predictability.”
On one hand, depending on your life, predictability may be synonymous with monotony, but that’s not what I’m talking about.
On the other hand, nothing in your life may be going the way you expected it to and you would be thrilled with a little predictability—monotony even.
Well, there is good news. The Lord and His plans are predictable … though they often don’t come to pass the way we expect them to.
We can count on Him no matter what our day-to-day life looks like.
Count On God
Consider the following verses:
Proverbs 18:10 says,
“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe” (ESV).
Psalm 18:2 says,
“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (ESV).
Psalm 19:1-6 says,
“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat” (ESV).
What wonderful examples of strength, ones we can relate to even in the 21st century: a strong tower, a rock, a fortress, a shield. What a sense of security and predictability is available to us, knowing the God who loves us and sent His Son to die for us is described by these powerful symbols.
I’ve often quoted Romans 1:20, which says,
“For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made” (ESV).
And this is certainly evident when one is surrounded by spectacular mountains, towering trees, and raging waters, as I was when my hubby and I were in Jasper, Alberta, Canada. And yet, no matter where we live, the sun rises, runs its course, and once again, sets. According to the passage in Psalm 19, even the heavens declare the glory of God
Wonderful Predictability
If we take the time to really study creation, we will learn so much about the Lord. There is wondrous order and breathtaking beauty all around—wonderful predictability.
“But I’m far too busy to stop and smell the roses.”
We’ve all said it. In fact, I often put off the things that are truly important: starting the day by reading God’s Word and praying, committing each task to Him, studying the world the Lord has made in order to learn more about Him, etc., etc..
But when I do these things, predictably, He is faithful to “show up” and remind me why it’s so important to give Him first place in my life.
And, to be honest, there are many things I do in the course of my “busy” day that I could set aside in order to spend more time in His presence.
While I’m a big fan of social networking, I don’t need to spend near as much time on Facebook.
Spending an hour or so with my hubby each evening would be better spent walking rather than watching TV—and that would still free up some time for prayer and the study of God’s Word.
I enjoy reading a wide variety of books, both fiction, and nonfiction, but I could certainly allocate my reading time more wisely.
Too Busy?
What about you? Does your “To Do” list need some modification? No matter how carefully we plan our schedule, things will come up that we couldn’t foresee. However, when we spend time getting to know the Lord better, we can depend on His predictability 100 percent of the time.
And while there will be times we need Him to be our place of refuge, our strong tower, we will avoid many pitfalls by living as He instructs us to.
Can you remember a time that God provided for you when you needed Him? We would love to hear from you. Comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.
Steph Nickel
Steph Beth Nickel is eclectically interested and eclectically involved. In all she does, Steph seeks to nurture and inspire.
She is currently working on the first book in a nonfiction series. Nurture and Inspire LOVE is a compilation of the first devotionals she wrote for HopeStreamRadio.
Steph is a prolific freelance writer and editor. She is the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’ award-winning memoir, Living Beyond My Circumstances, published by Castle Quay Books. Deb and Steph are working on a follow-up book.
You can visit her website, stephbethnickel.com, to learn more about her.
Visit Steph’s contributor’s page or at Steph Nickel’s Eclectic Interests.
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