Confession of sin seems scary, but it always leads to relief and joy. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 126 Q. What does the fifth request mean? A. “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” means, Because of Christ’s blood, do not hold against us, poor sinners that we are, any of the sins we do or the evil that constantly clings to us. Forgive us just as we are fully determined, as evidence of your grace in us, to forgive our neighbors Summary Generally, confession isn't something most people look forward to. It's hard to admit guilt even to other people, much less than to our God and Father! So it's not surprising that most people do all they can to keep themselves distracted from their guilt rather than subject themselves to the anticipated pain of confession. But as we read David's inspired words today, it certainly doesn't appear that his confession of one of the most heinous sins committed in the Bible is a painful process! Quite the opposite! Confession is a cathartic - that is, purifying - process. David asks our Father to cleanse him so that he will be clean, and to wash him and make him whiter than snow. He writes of the relief from the bone crushing weight of the guilt that had been pressing down on him. Imagine the transformation necessary for crushed bones to rejoice! (Side note: notice there in v8 that God was the one using David's guilt to crush his bones! In this way, God graciously used pain to bring David to salvation.) Ultimately, confession of sin doesn't just polish up our transgressions so they don't seem so bad, rather it completely removes them. That's what David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, asks for here: for God to blot out all of his iniquity. Dig Deeper It seems to make sense: big sins require big confessions. David's sin was much more than a tryst with a beautiful woman; it drove him into a conspiracy that led to betrayal, treason, and murder, which ultimately caused his entire country's downfall. But then we behold the overwhelming beauty of his confession here in Psalm 51, and our perception of David drastically improves. Just like in a cheesy romantic movie, the wayward protagonist eloquently apologizes to the woman he loves, and just like that, all is better. But that's not what's going on here at all. God didn't accept David's confession because somehow its beauty was sufficient to overcome the sin being confessed. God accepted David's confession because of His unfailing love and compassion, which we read about a couple of days ago. Here's a few things to keep in mind about confession: Since poetic beauty doesn't improve a confession's efficacy, you don't need to worry about making them eloquent. You just need to demonstrate sincerity and admit your guilt. Notice David never mentions any of the particulars of his sin in his confession. Confession is less about giving God a list of what you've done wrong, and more about demonstrating sorrow and repentance. While there generally should be some correlation between the magnitude of a particular sin and the process you utilize to confess it, remember that all sins, big and small, must be confessed (even the sins you're unaware of). The best way to do this well is to follow Jesus' simple command: Continually repent and pray often that God will forgive your debts as you trust in Christ's atoning blood. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father; who crushes our bones when we hide our guilt, but then causes them to rejoice when we confess our sin; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Confess your sins and pray that God will forgive your debts as you trust in Christ alone. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Revelation 15

The guilt you feel is actually a good thing, but don't feel it for too long! Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 126 Q. What does the fifth request mean? A. “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” means, Because of Christ’s blood, do not hold against us, poor sinners that we are, any of the sins we do or the evil that constantly clings to us. Forgive us just as we are fully determined, as evidence of your grace in us, to forgive our neighbors Summary Is guilt a good or bad thing? Nobody really likes experiencing the pain of guilt. You've likely envied people just a bit who seem able to float through life guilt free, even after doing really awful things. But David here in Psalm 51 reminds you once again that guilt, as painful as it can be, is actually a good thing, in that it brings us to confess our sin before our gracious Father. David expresses the inescapable nature of guilt that covenant people experience when he writes that his sin is "always before him." Know that you'll never be able to outrun or hide from your guilt; the only solution is to confess it here as David does and then experience the unfailing, forgiving love and compassion we read about yesterday. While there certainly are lots of people that get hurt when we sin, the primary offense is against God Himself. Yet David isn't bitter about God, even after receiving God's righteous verdict and justified judgment. David knows God isn't being arbitrary or capricious, because David's conscience had already made him quite aware of his guilt. Sin and guilt is so intertwined with you that it's wrapped up in your DNA. Not only were you born into sin, you were conceived in it! This is why the New Testament emphasizes your need to not just change your behavior, but to change you very nature; you need to go from being in Adam and his sin to being grafted into Christ and His righteousness. Dig Deeper Maybe you've heard the analogy that if you had a treatable cancer in you, it would be much better if it generated a symptom that made you feel miserable than if it just grew undetected. In seeking relief from the symtoms, the cancer could be treated and removed. So it is with your sin. Life might seem to be much better for people who are able to mask their guilt or even ignore it all together, but the true advantage comes to those like David, whose guilt enables them to recognize their transgression and sin so they can remove it by confessing it to God. Sin infected you the moment you were conceived. Be grateful for the guilt that makes you aware of its presence in your life, and then follow Jesus' command to pray that your guilt-inducing debts will be forgiven. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father; against you, you only, have we sinned and done what is evil in your sight; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that God will, through Christ, forgive your debts and alleviate your guilt; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Revelation 14

You're forgiven through Christ, but it's the Father's love & compassion that makes it possible. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 126 Q. What does the fifth request mean? A. “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” means, Because of Christ’s blood, do not hold against us, poor sinners that we are, any of the sins we do or the evil that constantly clings to us. Forgive us just as we are fully determined, as evidence of your grace in us, to forgive our neighbors Summary As David begins this famous prayer asking for repentance, he frames his request by acknowledging who God is. In other words, it's the very character and nature of God that makes forgiveness possible. David appeals to God's "unfailing love," that ḥěʹ·sěḏ love rooted in His covenant with us that He's obligated Himself to. David knows he can come to his God in repentance because of God's "great compassion." God's unchanging character is not only the reason that David can ask for forgiveness, but it is also the reason that David must ask for forgiveness. David uses three different words to describe his own actions: transgressions, iniquity and sin. All three of these words describe David's relationship to an aspect God's character as well: His justice. David admits his crime, his guilt and that he has missed God's legal expectations. Notice also that David doesn't use the word forgiveness! Rather, he expands on what it is that we mean when we ask for forgiveness: that our guilt would be "blotted out," and that we would be "washed" and "cleansed." Dig Deeper It's important that David prays this prayer of confession to God the Father. This is a good reminder for us, because we're often quick to say that Jesus came as a baby on Christmas morning to live, die, and be raised to life in order to forgive people's sins. It's certainly not wrong to say this, for the Bible often equates Jesus with forgiveness (Matt. 26:28, Luke 24:47, Acts 2:38, Acts 10:43, Acts 13:38, Eph. 1:7, Col. 1:13-14, 1 John 2:12, just to name a few). But a closer look at Psalm 51 and these other passages encourages us to tighten up our language. We're forgiven through Jesus, not by Jesus. Jesus' atonement (payment) for our sin on the cross satisfied the righteous anger that God has for those who cross His good and perfect will, making forgiveness possible, as Paul writes in Ephesians 1:4, "just as in Christ, God forgave you." This is an important distinction to keep in mind because otherwise it seems like God the Father is just a stubborn, angry old man, while God the Son is the good guy giving everyone a pass. Let David's beautiful confession remind you that it was God the Father's unfailing love and great compassion that sent His Son to die so that you could have complete forgiveness of all of your sin. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who loves you with unfailing love and great compassion; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that God will have mercy on you, and that He will blot out your transgressions, wash away your iniquity, and cleanse you from your sin; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Revelation 13

Trusting in God's unfailing loves brings you true rest & blessings. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 125 Q. What does the fourth request mean? A. “Give us today our daily bread” means, Do take care of all our physical needs so that we come to know that you are the only source of everything good, and that neither our work and worry nor your gifts can do us any good without your blessing. And so help us to give up our trust in creatures and to put trust in you alone. Summary Often times in Hebrew poetry, the meaning comes in the middle. Such is the case here in Psalm 62, where v7 is sandwiched between two 8 line stanzas. Everything that you have that has any lasting value - your salvation and your honor - are completely dependent upon God, your mighty rock and refuge. We have a tendency to think the world is more evil now than it's ever been, but that's probably not the case. Just like today, King David had enemies who delighted in lies attempting to topple him. He too was surrounded by hypocrites who "bless with their mouths but in their hearts they curse." Greed, that ugly root of sin that Jesus identified in 1 Timothy 6:10, is nothing new either. For ages people have trusted in extortion and put vain hope in stolen goods. Although it seems like they're getting ahead, David here reminds you that ultimately God will "reward all people for what they have done." God sees through the lies and deceit, you can be sure of that! If you want to live in such a way that "you will not be shaken" no matter what goes on around you, then "trust in Him at all times... pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge (v8)." In other words, as we've read so many times this year, fully depend on God's unfailing ḥěʹ·sěḏ love (v12). It's as you "pour out your heart to Him (v8)" that you will "find rest (v5)." Dig Deeper My former Hebrew professor, Mark Futato, explains well the lesson Psalm 62 teaches: From this psalm we learn the importance of taking the time to be quiet before God when there is turmoil in our lives. Our temptation is to move into high gear to stay ahead of the storm. While there is a time and place for action, our activity is often a form of self-reliance. So our external pace is as hectic as our internal space. Quieting our souls before God and centering on him as the source of our well-being will produce the state of heart and mind needed to take action when appropriate. One way of quieting your soul and putting your trust in the Lord is to pray daily the simple prayer Jesus taught us: Give us each day our daily bread. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who is our rock and our salvation, He is our fortress, we will never be shaken; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will find rest in God as you put your hope in Him alone; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Revelation 12

It takes more than good stuff to have a good life. Find true enjoyment, wisdom, knowledge and happiness. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 125 Q. What does the fourth request mean? A. “Give us today our daily bread” means, Do take care of all our physical needs so that we come to know that you are the only source of everything good, and that neither our work and worry nor your gifts can do us any good without your blessing. And so help us to give up our trust in creatures and to put trust in you alone. Summary All throughout history there have been ascetic Christians - that is, people who think the best way to prove their discipleship is by detaching themselves from any sort of physical or sensory pleasure. They embrace celibacy, they eat only the plainest and most basic foods, and go to great lengths to make sure there's nothing that could be considered luxurious or indulgent in their lives. While there may be very particular instances when a Christian is called to completely isolate himself in such a way for a short period of discernment, asceticism is not the lifestyle that the Bible teaches. Quite the opposite, in fact! Ecclesiastes is often mistakenly considered to be a very dour, pessimistic book. It's easy to see why, since the final clause of today's passage - that everything is a "meaningless chasing after the wind" - is a continuing refrain throughout the entire book. But one of Ecclesiastes' key lessons is what we read here today: that you need to slow down and enjoy the blessings God has given you when He gives them. Dig Deeper It's verse 25 that captures our attention today: For without Him, who can eat or find enjoyment? Certainly lots of very godless people accumulate really nice things, and many even seem to truly enjoy the good things they have. Yet as we read earlier this week, both the stuff they have and the joy it brings them are gifts of God's common grace, in which He sends rain on both the just and unjust. But today the Old Testament gives us a bit more insight into what we read earlier this week in the New Testament. Although they might find a little enjoyment along they way, ultimately those who don't recognize God's provision and blessing are simply "gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God." No matter how hard you work or how much you worry, or how much blessings God gives you along the way, none of it will give you true and lasting enjoyment until you recognize God as the giver of all good things. The best way for you to "find satisfaction in your toil" is to thank God often throughout the day, and continue to make clear in your prayers that you depend on Him each day for your daily bread. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who grants wisdom, knowledge and happiness to the person who pleases Him; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for His blessings in your life, and continue to pray that each day He will give you your daily bread; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Revelation 11

Often feel like your work & efforts are useless? Learn how to experience shalom every day. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 125 Q. What does the fourth request mean? A. “Give us today our daily bread” means, Do take care of all our physical needs so that we come to know that you are the only source of everything good, and that neither our work and worry nor your gifts can do us any good without your blessing. And so help us to give up our trust in creatures and to put trust in you alone. Summary Notice the word in this short passage that gets repeated three times: vain. Vain isn't a word we use very often, and its definition has different senses. Often times we might refer to a pompous, arrogant person as being vain, but here the word is being used in a different sense, in that people's building, guarding and toiling are useless if they're not done in dependence upon the Lord. It's not that vain projects are deficient in and of themselves. Lots of beautiful developments and construction have been successfully completed, but they ultimately miss the mark. Here's how one commentator describes this: "Vain" here seems to mean “not producing the desired result.” Why do people build houses? Why do people strive to build safe communities? Why do people toil to earn a living? The answer appears to be found in the shalom that is a running motif in the Psalms of Ascent. People want “peace” in the full sense of the term, the absence of harm and the presence of tranquility with prosperity. When people strive for this good end without faith in God and in ways contrary to his principles, God is not “in it,” and they do not experience the shalom they are looking for. Dig Deeper We're generally people who work hard, and often have good things to show for it as a result. We live in prosperous communities, and most of us haven't had to worry about where our daily bread was coming from for a long time. We have a dualistic tendency in us as well, in which we tend to think of our physical needs as being different or separate from our spiritual needs, and that our pursuits to obtain food & shelter is somehow less 'godly.' Certainly there is a distinction between the two, but Psalm 127 helps remind us that true shalom depends upon God's presence and blessing in both the physical and spiritual aspects of our lives. Shalom is a tranquility in which everything - both physical and spiritual - is the way it's supposed to be. This is why Jesus taught you to pray each day for your daily bread, so that you will experience shalom as you're continually reminded of your dependence upon Him in every part of your life. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who builds our house, watches over our city, and grants shalom to those He loves; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask your father each day to grant you what you need both spiritually and physically for this day so that you'll experience His shalom; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Revelation 10

God is the overflowing fountain of all good. Who are you giving the credit to? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 125 Q. What does the fourth request mean? A. “Give us today our daily bread” means, Do take care of all our physical needs so that we come to know that you are the only source of everything good, and that neither our work and worry nor your gifts can do us any good without your blessing. And so help us to give up our trust in creatures and to put trust in you alone. Summary If you learned about the Greek gods in school, you likely remember how much drama was involved: from the intricate family feuds and love triangles to the epic battles and cunning schemes, their stories were full of intense and intrigue. There's a big difference between the mythological Greek pantheon and our Father, "who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them." Whereas the Greek gods were simply reflections of humanity, albeit with superhuman powers, the God of the Bible is the exact opposite. Humanity is created in His image, not vice versa. And although God certainly has superhuman powers, He is much more than an all powerful being; He is the very definition of goodness itself! The Belgic Confession, which we'll be learning about next year, describes God as being "the overflowing fountain of all good." Our Father shares this goodness with all people, both those who put their faith in Him and those who continue to rebel against Him. He shows kindness by plentifully providing for needs, sending rain from heaven even filling people's hearts with joy. We call this doctrine common grace. Dig Deeper Paul's awesome description of who God is comes in the context of a massive warning. Our sin impaired minds have always attributed the good blessings God gives to other things. In the past, fabricated idols were given credit. In our own day and age, governments, businesses or our own inflated egos are said to be the source of the good life we have. Whatever it is that you point to as the source of your abundance, if it's not the living God, then as Paul writes, it's a "worthless thing." "In the past," Paul writes, "He let the nations all go their own way (v16)." God keeps providing rain and joy to people regardless of who they attribute it to, but His patience will not continue forever. He will call all people to account. As you pray the simple words, "give us this day our daily bread," you're not just asking God for what you need, you're acknowledging that He is the only source of everything good in your life. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them, and who is the overflowing fountain of all good; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will recognize Him as the source of blessing in your life and that He will continue to provide for your daily needs. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Revelation 9

One short daily prayer can alleviate so much of your stress & anxiety. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 125 Q. What does the fourth request mean? A. “Give us today our daily bread” means, Do take care of all our physical needs so that we come to know that you are the only source of everything good, and that neither our work and worry nor your gifts can do us any good without your blessing. And so help us to give up our trust in creatures and to put trust in you alone. Summary The opening word to today's teaching from Jesus functions like a big STOP sign. When you see the word therefore, you have to stop and ask, what is it there for? In this case, Jesus is saying that because you should be focused on building up treasure in heaven rather than on earth, which is what He says in the preceding passage, therefore do not worry about your physical needs in this life. If even the birds of the air and the flowers of the field thrive by simply relying upon what your Father provides for them, you can too, since you're much more valuable than they are, says Jesus. But don't jump too far ahead here. Jesus isn't calling you to take a life long vacation as you count on your daily bread getting shipped down from heaven each day. His command here is to not worry, not to not work hard. Think of how busy the birds keep from dawn to dusk and how the flower is doing what it was created to do whenever the sun is shining. You don't need to look far - perhaps even within your own life - to see the awful result of running after all sorts of worldly stuff like the pagans do. They might gain a bunch of things, but they have no rest, no peace and no certainty that whatever they've accumulated today will be here tomorrow. In short, they're often drowning in anxiety. Instead, Jesus calls you to seek first His kingdom and righteousness, and He makes an extraordinary promise to those who do: all these things you need will be given to you as well. Dig Deeper Jesus here is telling you to make a shift in attitude more so than a change in your daily activities. If you're at the point in life where you're part of the workforce, don't quit your job. When you're at your job, keep your head down and be productive. Remember, working is one of the primary ways God calls us to worship Him! But do some quick mental math and tally up how many hours a day you spend productively working versus how many hours a day you spend worrying, stressing, and fretting about the gulf between what you have and what you want. How different would things look for you if you had focused your resources on seeking the kingdom rather than worrying about stuff? That's the brilliance of the short line that Jesus commanded you to pray: "give me each day the bread I need today." He goes on here to tell you to not worry about the other things in life, or even about what will happen tomorrow. It's not that other stuff or planning for the future isn't important, it's just not worth worrying about when you can be absolutely certain your Father will provide. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who created the birds and flowers, and provides for all His creatures' needs; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will seek first the Kingdom and that you'll be able to trust that your Father will give you the things you need; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Revelation 8

The Bible doesn't tell us much about angels, but it tells us all we need to know. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 124 Q. What does the third request mean? A. “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” means, Help us and all people to reject our own wills and to obey your will without any back talk. Your will alone is good. Help us one and all to carry out the work we are called to, as willingly and faithfully as the angels in heaven. Summary Chances are your idea of what an angel is has been shaped more by culture than by the Bible. This is not only because so many books, movies and TV shows have stereotyped angels in certain ways, but also because when it comes down to it, although the Bible certainly affirms the existence of angels & demons, it doesn't really tell us much about who they are or what they do. The final stanza of Psalm 103 gives us some insight. All of our major English translations render these words slightly differently, so it's good to look at them all to get a full picture: Angels are: Mighty ones (NIV, ESV) / Mighty heroes (LEB) / Powerful warriors (NET) / Ones who excel in strength (KJV) Do the LORD's bidding & obey His word (NIV) / Do the LORD's word, obeying the voice of His word (ESV) / Do His word by obeying the sound of His word (LEB) / Carry out His decrees and obey His orders (NET) / Do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His word (KJV) Are servants (NIV, NET) / ministers (ESV, KJV) / attendants (LEB) who do the LORD's will. The author of Hebrews indicates the mission of the angelic host is to serve those who inherit salvation. That's us! What a blessing & honor to know God's entire angel army exist to serve & minister to us! Finally, Peter informs us that the angels long to look at the beauty of our salvation in Christ. Dig Deeper When you pray the words "your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven," you're asking God to equip you to carry out His work just as "willingly and faithfully as the angels in heaven." That might seem intimidating, since you don't have the same supernatural powers that the angels have. But notice that the catechism isn't calling you to do the same thing the angels do, rather it's calling you to have the same willing and faithful attitude that they have. The idea continues to persist that when we die, we get a promotion of sorts and become angels. This isn't what the Bible teaches. Even if this was the case, it wouldn't be a promotion, since you in a sense already outrank the angels. They weren't created in God's image as you have been. They were created to serve you, not vice versa! So be content with the talents and abilities you've been blessed with, but be sure to model the eager desire to "hearken unto the the voice of the LORD's word," just as the angels revealed in scripture do. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who is praised by angels, the heavenly host, and all of His works; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for the angels who serve on your behalf (though we rarely know how they do so), and pray that you'll model their eager attitude to carry out God's will; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Revelation 7

Evaluate your position in life from God's perspective, not the world's. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 124 Q. What does the third request mean? A. “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” means, Help us and all people to reject our own wills and to obey your will without any back talk. Your will alone is good. Help us one and all to carry out the work we are called to, as willingly and faithfully as the angels in heaven. Summary Some consider this passage to be controversial, alleging that the 19th century American church used it as an excuse to continue the practice of slavery. But this allegation doesn't hold much water, since immediately after telling slaves to be content in their situation, Paul encourages them to gain their freedom if possible (v21). Far from being a rationale for the oppressors to continue their oppression (as so many in our day and age want to think the Bible does), this passage completely dismantles the human class system that supposedly defines the level of a person's status in society. As Christians, you are to consider yourself as the Lord eternally defines you, rather than the way others see you based on your current temporal situation. Our sinful instinct is to see the wealthy upper crust as intrinsically better people than the poor and downtrodden, so, especially as Americans, we do all we can to improve our upward mobility. While it's not wrong in and of itself for you to want to better yourself, this desire quickly turns into a dominating sin when your entire self image becomes based on the subjective standards that have been foisted upon you by society rather than responding to God's calling. Dig Deeper The entire doctrine taught in this passage is encapsulated in the opening verse (v17): Each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. In other words, be content no matter what your societal status is, with two very important caveats. First, be certain that the Lord has "assigned" you the position that you're in. If you can fully serve the Lord and grow in faith in your current life situation, it's a good indication that you're where the Lord has assigned you to be, no matter what the rest of the world thinks about it. But if you sense growth opportunities which require doing the hard work to change stations in life by moving either up or even down(!!) the societal ladder, then perhaps God is changing your assignment in life and you must respond. Second, and somewhat similarly, are you where God has "called" you? You may have found a very comfortable niche in life that you'd just as soon remain in, but by doing so you might be evading God's calling, putting you in a dangerous situation. Think of how comfortable Jonah was sleeping in the hold of the ship before God sent a storm to remind Jonah of his calling. Evaluating life from a divine perspective rather than the world's wisdom is massively difficult. Just remember, it doesn't matter what other people think. "Keeping God's commands is what counts (v19)." This is why your prayers must often include the words "Thy will be done." AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who called you and assigned you the life you're living; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that God's will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, and that He'll help you to discern where He's assigned you to be; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Revelation 6