Daily Devotional

A Ministry of the Kerwin Baptist Church

April 20, 2018

by Pastor Hawtree

I AM PERSUADED THAT HE IS ABLE:

TO CORRECT MY PATH

Jeremiah 10:23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. 24 O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.

“The way of man is not in himself”
It is just not in us. As much as we think it is, it just isn’t. We tend to be know it all’s. We think we know how to do just about everything. We think we have things figured out and all our ducks in a row. We have our own plan, our own purpose, and our own prerogative. Then, just about when we think we have it all figured out, things fall apart. We thought we figured parenting out, then we receive news of something disappointing that our child has done. We think we have marriage figured out, but we realize that our mate is not as fulfilled as we thought. We think we have our future planned just right, and then the doctor gives us the news. And I could go on with the scenarios. As verse twenty-three says, we do not know how to “direct our steps”. We just get too distracted in life. Our flesh can take over at any moment that we let down our guard. Our flesh wants our steps to go one direction, and the Holy Spirit wants our steps to go another direction. You and I just need to admit it. We cannot figure out this thing of life, and steps, and decisions, without God’s help. David acknowledges this to God, “O Lord, I know”.

“O Lord, correct me”
What a wonderful prayer. The first prayer, the beginning of verse twenty-three, David admits his own inability. The second prayer, verse twenty-four, David asks for God’s direction. In fact, that would be a great prayer to pray the moment you and I wake up in the morning. “O Lord, I know that I am capable of nothing without you, and, Lord, please direct me and correct me today.” Just take a month and pray that throughout the day. I don’t know if you do (I actually do), but I need corrected quite a bit. We all do. David is saying that we cannot possibly know all the steps we should take but God does. We cannot possibly fix all our missteps, but God can.

David does have a specific request however. David ask that God would correct him out of patience, not anger. David acknowledges that if God let Himself display His anger, David would be reduced to nothing. It makes me think of this verse:

* Habakkuk 3: 2 O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.