I find self-reflection to be an insightful exercise. It intrigues me to look back over the course of a day, month, or even years whilst observing the seasons of my heart and the way they overflowed into my words and actions. Sometimes these observations bring a smile as I remember seasons of faith or joy, when I’ve trusted the Lord’s leading or enjoyed the blessing of being humbled by His greatness. Other times these observations make me cringe as I recall seasons of pride or self-reliance, when I’ve trusted my own understanding and leaned on my skills instead of God’s provision.
This passage of Scripture is much like an exercise in self-reflection. We are able to look back at man’s history and see the prideful tendency to seek accolades and power. We see the sin nature that we are stricken with that has only one resolution…the blood of Jesus. We see the turning of men to follow God, such as Abram and Sarai, willing to set aside everything they knew and loved in willing obedience to follow God’s leading and trust in his promises. Then we look at the way these faithful followers so easily fall into the temptation to trust in their own understanding and make way for an apparent salvation apart from God’s will, which only leads to destruction.
With the seasons in the midst of transition, can we all take time to pause and reflect? What has been the most recent season of our own heart? Have we been prideful like the people building the Tower of Babel? Seeking recognition and glory? Have we been faithfully seeking God’s leading and enjoying His blessing of joy in the midst of struggle? Or have we been floundering as we try and fail to find solutions for problems that lie heavy on our hearts without seeking the guidance of our all knowing Father? Though the seasons of our lives and hearts are ever changing, our God is ever steady. Let us take stock of our hearts and be humbled. Our hearts are deceitful above all else, so let us cling to our faithful Father and seek to follow His call.
VC Devotionals 