Bible Devotions for Living

Take time out regularly to think about your life and your ways. Most of us are busy living life on automatic pilot. We don’t stop to smell the roses and don’t stop to look into the mirror to honestly evaluate our lives. That’s a huge mistake.

Scripture encourages you to look closely at your life to make sure you’re on the right track:

Carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your ways will be established. (Pv 4:26)

The sensible man’s wisdom is to consider his way, but the stupidity of fools deceives them. (Pv 14:8)

When is the last time you took a close look at yourself – your life, spiritual growth, and spiritual direction?

Examining your life regularly is important because it will help you catch small issues early before they become big problems. Without looking at your life you could be heading in a bad direction like Hagar (Gen 16:8) who was a pregnant woman running away into the desert toward death; you may be becoming polluted by the world around you like Lot (Gen 13:5-10; Gen 19) who lived in Sodom and developed warped values; or you could be in a bad spiritual place with God like Adam (Gen 3:9) who was hiding in a bush from God cowering in fear. 

Self-examination is an important part of your Christian life and growth. You need to take time out and examine where you are in your relationship with the Lord; examine where your life is going spiritually; and examine your actions, thoughts, and speech. Self-examination will show you where you need to adjust your life course, show you where you need to do better, and even encourage you as you see how God has changed you over time.

Think about your spiritual life and health regularly. Think about whether you are moving forward in your faith or stagnant. Think about your attitudes, thought life, and behaviors – are you becoming more like Jesus or less like Him?

Let us search out and examine our ways, and turn back to the Lord. (Lam 3:40)

⁵ Now, the Lord of Hosts says this: “Think carefully about your ways: ⁶ You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but never have enough to be satisfied. You drink but never have enough to become drunk. You put on clothes but never have enough to get warm. The wage earner puts his wages into a bag with a hole in it.” ⁷ The Lord of Hosts says this: “Think carefully about your ways. (Hag 1:5-7)