“For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: He putteth down one, and setteth up another.” Ps. 75:6-7
Today’s Christian daily devotional
I watch my girlfriend fill out anther online application for a job she does not even want. After nine lean months of unemployment, her hopeful expectations and lofty criteria have dwindled down to wishful extras. She has passed the point of being particular. Today, she is desperate.
Nine months ago she had a corner office, health insurance and company stock. Today my friend is chained to her email. Her brow furrowed in frustration as she posts her valuables on Craigslist and dines on Ramen noodles like an undergrad. For the first time since I have known her, she is struggling not only with her finances and security, but her identity and value as well. Although I am not happy watching her struggle, part of me feels a deeper connection to her. Before, she was steely and unshakable. Now I see her as a bit more human and a lot more relatable. No human is as independent as they think they are.
If you are an independent person by nature, Ps. 75:6-7 might be hard for you to swallow. The “upside” about “failing” is the priceless lessons we learn from it. Most people achieve their greatest success after overcoming the obstacles of failure.
So, even if your life has not been “successful” (by the natural definition of success) God can still do something with it. He can use every broken area of your past to help heal another person’s current pain. Believe it or not, your painful experience is sweet to the ears of the hurting. If anyone has ever attempted to comfort you without having gone through the kind of pain that you are currently struggling with, you know what I am talking about. No matter how kind their words may be; they fall weightless to ears that crave the comfort and hope that only comes from the fires of experience.
God has opportunities for you that are not limited by the same standards the world demands from us. He can use you when you are humble enough to admit that you need Him, and are ready to be used for something greater than yourself. Are you ready for that kind of job?
“Dear Heavenly Father,
I am ready for success. I have not achieved my hearts desire as I feel a hole in my heart that is yearning for a deeper meaning for my existence. Show me what success looks like in your eyes. Open the eyes of my heart to see it and to crave it for my life. I have tried my way—there is no fulfillment there. I am filling out my application to work for you and I am open to whatever jobs you have for me to do. In Jesus’ precious name, use me for your glory, Amen.”
Thank you for reading today’s daily devotional.
Please check back and see what we have for you tomorrow!
Author: Julia Shalom Jordan