Happy Leap Day! It’s Thursday, February 29, 2024. This day happens only once every four years, so enjoy the extra day, making this year 366 days! Our Bible reading program doesn’t include the 29th day, so I usually read the 29th chapter of Proverbs for today. An evangelist by the name of CT Studd once said, “The gamblers for gold are many, but the gamblers for God are so few. I want to be a gambler for God!” That’s my prayer on this “Leap Day.” Join me! Let’s take that leap together for God. Read on …
Today's Reading:
Proverbs 29
Scripture
“Where there is no vision, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction” (Proverbs 29:18)
Observation
The book of Proverbs is written either in sets of couplets that reinforce one another or in sets of contrasts that oppose each other. The purpose is to enhance the reader's comprehension through comparison or contrast. Here, the verse contrasts people with no vision or direction with those who heed God's wisdom and instruction to guide them on a straight path. This day should remind us to take a leap of faith and choose to base our decisions, words, plans, and actions on God's wisdom rather than our feelings or the world's expectations.
Application
Everyone needs vision to face the future with hope. Without it, we may find ourselves going off in several directions at once and losing traction. I have witnessed this phenomenon. Where there is no vision, people tend to invent one! However, we observe an interesting twist here. This verse guides us to the very genesis of vision. Another translation states, "Where there is no vision, the people perish … but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom's instruction."
In other words, if we are people who heed God's wisdom and instruction, vision will be a by-product, not the primary driver. Vision will naturally emerge as the Holy Spirit leads. When we are committed to His ways, vision will emerge as a natural result of walking in obedience and making decisions based on wisdom.
Prayer
Father, my aim is to heed wisdom’s instruction, to follow her lead, and to apply her coaching with diligence and dedication. Keep me single-minded in a world that competes for my attention. Keep my heart fixed on You and focused on Your will for me. When I am attentive to Your Spirit, there will always be new vistas, new horizons, and fresh vision for the years ahead.
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