April 12, 2025 Devo

Mark Twain is quoted as saying, “When I was 14, my father was so ignorant that I could barely stand to have him around. When I was 21, I was amazed at how much he’d learned in just 7 years!” Can you relate to that quote? I sure could. Isn’t it amazing how much we think we know when we’re young? We often think the advice of our parents is outdated, old-fashioned, or just plain dumb. Instead of believing that they’re trying to save us from mistakes they made or pain they experienced, we believe that they just want to hold us back or keep us from having fun. It’s only when we get older or have our own kids that we realize how much of their advice was spot on.
Sadly, we often regard God the same way. Instead of heeding the words of His Scriptures, we tend to pick and choose the ones we WANT to follow. Instead of seeking His will, we tend to follow our own desires and do what we FEEL, rather than what He might want us to do. And when we feel the nudge or conviction of His Spirit to avoid a certain path or person, or to walk away from a tempting situation, or to take the high road in a circumstance, we will frequently ignore Him. Sometimes it’s only in the painful recovery of choosing our own way and trying to dig out of our messes that we recognize that God was trying to help us all along.
Read again David’s words for us today. The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” Notice how God’s commitment is to lead us along the “best” pathway for our lives. David doesn’t say that it will be the easiest pathway. Neither does he say that it will be the most fun. He says the “best.” Best means the pathway that leads to growth, maturity, and productivity. Best means the pathway that takes in the long view and not just the short stretch. Best means it is the pathway where God can best help us, heal us, and work through us. And it’s often the pathway that we wouldn’t choose on our own—at least not until we’re older, wiser, and have more understanding.
I want to challenge you today to lay your plans and your path before the Lord. I want to challenge you to pray a “grown-up” prayer instead of a more childish one. Pray the prayer that ends with “but not my will, but YOURS be done.” Don’t wait for seven more years to acknowledge what David is telling us today. Our Father knows best. That’s God’s Word for you today.