ICS Daily Devotions
Be Different! Be a Trailblazer!
Psalm 37:1, 3-5, 23-24 (NKJV) “Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity…Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass…The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand.”
King David is known as a man who was after God’s own heart. He was mistreated, persecuted and hunted down by King Saul for years. Yet as Saul’s vassal, David maintained his faithful allegiance to him, in action and in word, in spite of being unfairly treated. Because of Saul’s own insecurity, David went from being the most highly favoured warrior and general to a fugitive. He could have fretted over all his unjust experiences and setbacks, yet because he knew God and trusted God as his covenant partner, he did not lose hope or his sense of purpose. David’s identity wasn’t in the position that he held in the king’s army, neither did he miss people’s praises. He wasn’t worried whether his calling to be the next king could ever materialize when faced with unpromising circumstances. He didn’t fret over the evil done to him, nor did he ask God why He had allowed it to happen. Instead, David advises us not to be angry, frustrated, irritated or worried when evildoers seem to prosper.
In our current times, we may need to weather economic downturns one time or the other. To cut costs, companies may dismiss their employees, sometimes even unjustly. Even when we are at the receiving end of what we perceive to be unfair treatment, do not fret, but commit it all to the Lord. Stay focused and resilient and trust that He has a good plan and a personal breakthrough in store for us. By reacting differently, we can be a trailblazer and an example to others.
Perhaps you have experienced being bullied or intimidated at school, at work or even on social media. You were called names or body-shamed, or others had ganged up against you. These comments haunted your thoughts and caused you to have difficulty sleeping. You were concerned about what others think and how they look at you. While we cannot control what other people say, we can decide whose words matter to us. Hurtful comments will not stay with us if we choose to believe that what God says about us carries the most weight. We can adjust our thoughts to align with our identity in Christ—precious children of God, accepted in the Beloved, highly favoured, wonderfully created, and talented in our own unique ways. Do not fret over people’s remarks or allow the values of the world to define you.
You can choose to either dwell on the unkindness of others and in self-pitying misery, or have a breakthrough and leave it all behind. Many people suffer in similar ways, but you can be a trailblazer: break through the situation, do not allow it to hold you down and show others how to do so. Live out and apply the biblical truth that you are a child of God. When you decide that your security and identity are in Christ, all that matters is what God thinks of you. And you will be the trailblazer who shows other how to live differently.
Sermon Series: Trailblazer
