DISCERNMENT
Philippians 1:9-10
“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ…”
Philippians 1:9-10
“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ…”
Jesse felt anxious after returning home from swimming. He’d been grounded from the pool for three weeks after his prank humiliated a friend. But his pool freedom came with a price—something which he’d not paid in full. At dinner, his guilt was exposed. (See devotions Things God Hates, Belief Stand, and Rationalization.)
“Did you go swimming today, Son?” Jesse’s Dad asked him between mouthfuls of salad.
Jesse stabbed a tomato before replying, “Yeah, and it was great, Dad. I came home after two hours, just like you said.”
“So, Cassie accepted your apology?”
Jesse looked down at his salad, lancing a crouton with his fork. He mumbled, “Well, she wasn’t exactly there.”
“What?”
“Well, Dad, I found Missy, her best friend. I told her what you sent me to do, and she gave me a hard time at first.”
“Go on, Son” the man’s voice grew tense.
“I told her how sorry I was for humiliating Cassie like that. But Cassie was babysitting today.”
“But you went swimming anyway?”
“Yeah, Dad, Missy forgave me, and said she’d tell Cassie tonight. She told me to catch her tomorrow.”
“But you went swimming today, anyway?” Jesse’s Dad repeated, throwing down his fork.
Jesse gulped, his eyes burning holes into his salad.
“Look at me, Son.”
Jesse looked up. “Missy forgave me, Dad. I can clear this up with Cassie tomorrow.”
“That was not the deal, Jesse, and you know it!”
Jesse meant well. He wanted to do the right thing, but he was confused when Cassie wasn’t at the pool. His going swimming disobeyed his Dad’s clear instructions.
When we walk by faith, our focus is to be on the Lord, and not our circumstances. When we’re torn between doing two things, how do we know what’s right? When we pray first and lay our troubles on the Lord, He’ll guide our steps. He wants us to seek Him, then trust His lead.
The fog of uncertainty clears when we trust God. Trusting the One Who is in control separates truth from deception.
Take Home Nugget
Jesse apologized to Cassie next day at the pool, but was not allowed to go swimming for another week. The devil tempts us into doing things we want to do, but separating his deception from God’s truth is usually hard. This is called discernment.
“Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.” Psalm 19:12
J.D. Griffith
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