May 9, 2026 – Vision
Utmost – Proverbs 29:18 (RV) – “Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint.” If ever there was a truism, that is one (of many that God provides for us in the Proverbs, and the whole Bible for that matter). I’m not a big goal-setter, but having a plan of some sort really does help things flow more smoothly and minimize waste and frustration.
Chambers points out that, “There is a difference between an ideal and a vision. An ideal has no moral inspiration; a vision has. The people who give themselves over to ideals rarely do anything…. I may have a right conception of God, and that may be the very reason why I do not do my duty. But wherever there is vision, there is also a life of rectitude because the vision imparts moral incentive. Ideals lull to ruin…. When once we lose sight of God, we begin to be reckless, we cast off certain restraints, we cast of praying, we cast off the vision of God in little things, and begin to act on our own initiative…. Is our attitude today an attitude that springs from our vision of God?”
Simpson – “All hail” (Matt xxviii. 9). Simpson offers extra meaning to these words, “It was a stirring greeting which the Lord of Life spake to His first disciples on the morning of the resurrection…. It is really a prayer for our health, but which none but those who believe in the healing of the body can fully understand. A thoughtful friend suggested once that the word ‘hail’ really means health…. Our Lord’s message, therefore, was substantially that greeting which from time immemorial we give to one another when we meet. ‘How is your health?’ ‘How are you?’ or, better still, ‘I wish you health.’ Christ’s wish is tantamount to a promise and command.” He has a vision for our lives.
Streams – Genesis 18:22 – “Abraham remained standing before the Lord.” Cowman writes, “In this chapter, Abraham pleaded with God for the lives of others. A friend of God’s can do exactly that. But perhaps you see Abaham’s level of faith and his friendship with God as something far beyond your own possibilities. Do not be discouraged, however, for Abraham grew in his faith not by giant leaps but step by step. And we can do the same…. Having a friendship with God is no small thing.”
Prevail #129 – Job 42:5 – “I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.” Larson uses the story of Job to show the importance of having a friendship with God, “Job repented, not because his friends were right about him, but because he’d been wrong about God. Still, Job knew God. He even declared God’s sovereignty amidst his own suffering. But he actually encountered God during this exchange. We long for an encounter with God – as we should – but are we prepared for what His presence will reveal to and in us? Never condemnation, but definitely revelation. We don’t know what we don’t know, and we can’t see what we can’t see…. For God to change us, we need to know Him – the Person and His heart…. The Lord met Job in the ashes of his pain, opened his eyes, and then restored him to greater honor, wealth, and health than before.”
JA – “I MEET YOU in the place of your deepest need. So come to Me just as you are, leaving pretense and performance behind…. Ask My Spirit to help you be honest and open with Me…. Invite Me to have My way in your life. Remember that I am the Potter, and you are the clay…. Your deepest need is to lean on, trust in, and be confident in Me.”
JC – That last devotion inspired me to stop and pray aloud sharing with God my concerns and my thankfulness for His provision and guidance. The devotion’s first lines were so comforting (especially because of the reference to my favorite verse – God knew I needed that in this moment and He had it ready for me). “Don’t be so hard on yourself. I can bring good even out of your mistakes.” [Romans 8:28] I heard children playing outside so I went to the window and saw our neighbor walking her twin boys in the stroller while her daughter ran and danced her way down the street and through the driveways. That was me 25 years ago (daughter and twin sons) except I didn’t take walks with my children like she does almost daily. I felt a pang of regret for things I wish I’d done differently or that I’d done more of or less of all of those years.
The devotion continued with more comfort and understanding, “Your finite mind tends to look backward, longing to undo decisions you have come to regret. This is a waste of time and energy, leading only to frustration. Instead of floundering in the past, release your mistakes to Me. Look to Me in trust, anticipating that My infinite creativity can weave both good choices and bad into a lovely design…. Trust Me, and watch to see what I will do.”
Power – Joyce titled today’s devotion, “God Wants to Bless You” which is another direct and uplifting message from my Father. Psalm 23:1 – “The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack.” Joyce writes, “Being able to maintain a good attitude during times of suffering is a virtue, and it is very important, but continual suffering is not God’s will for anybody…. We will go through difficulties in this life, but we can, and should expect God’s deliverance along with a return to the abundant life…. Certainly, there are times when we don’t get what we want when we want it, but if that happens, God has a good reason…. it is never because He doesn’t want us to be blessed.”
The pilot (and crew) of my flight from Venice to Philadelphia had to have more than an ideal, and even more than a vision, in order to get us all safely to our destination. We should probably approach more things in our lives like this so we are better prepared to fly more smoothly through life’s ups and downs!
