Daily Devotional: Stability Matters

Read Isaiah 33:6

One of the first things I check when I meet with a new personal training client is the stability and balance of the client.  For stability, I check to see how well the client can go back and forth between using both sides of the body. This way, I can see how well my client is able to respond to unstable situations. As my clients increase their stability, they also improve their ability to stay injury-free, and they are better able to respond when conditions unexpectedly change.

These days, especially during this political season, life seems pretty shaky. Conversations get edgier, friendships become a bit cooled, and distinguishing the truth from a lie seems much more difficult to discern than before.  This verse in Isaiah reassures us that when all else seems to be flailing in the wind, we can find our stability in wisdom, knowledge and our salvation.

I see wisdom in the slow response. When so many people are getting upset and yelling in an attempt to make their point heard, the wise person stays quiet. He listens. She remains calm. The wise person is thoughtful of others and considers each point of view. When a person is wise, he is able to draw from experience and knowledge, balance that with feelings, and understand how his words will impact others. At the same time, a wise person is confident in her words and does not waiver at whim. A great thing about wisdom is that it is available to us. We just need to ask. See James 1:5.

When so many things seem so uncertain and unclear, I go to the things I know for sure. God loves me (John 3:16). He will never leave me (Joshua 1:5). He is my source of strength (Isaiah 40:31).  And, I frequently remember that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me Philippians 4:13.

My salvation, so completely undeserved, is the foundation for my life. No matter what happens around me, I know that I am forgiven, and I am free from the mess of this world (Acts 13:38-39).

When you find yourself getting discouraged by the precariousness of the world around you, find your stability by shifting your gaze to the One who is the source of wisdom, knowledge and salvation.