our daily bread
Dexu Xia
Advice from My Father
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
After being laid off from an editorial job, I prayed, asking for God to help me find a new one. But when weeks went by and nothing came of my attempts at networking and filling out applications, I began to pout. “Don’t You know how important it is that I have a job?” I asked God, my arms folded in protest at my seemingly unanswered prayer.
When I talked to my father, who had often reminded me about believing God’s promises, about my job situation, he said, “I want you to get to the point where you trust what God says.”
My father’s advice reminds me of Proverbs 3, which includes wise advice from a parent to a beloved child. This familiar passage was especially applicable to my situation: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5–6). To “make . . . paths straight” means God will guide us toward His goals for our growth. His ultimate goal is that I become more like Him.
This does not mean that the paths He chooses will be easy. But I can choose to trust that His direction and timing are ultimately for my good.
Are you waiting on God for an answer? Choose to draw near to Him and trust that He will guide you.
Lord, thank You for guiding and caring for us every step of the way. Help us to trust in You daily.
Your Father in heaven knows what’s best for you.
父亲的忠告
你要专心仰赖耶和华，不可倚靠自己的聪明。-箴言3章5节
因遭公司裁退，我失去了编辑的工作。过后，我向上帝祷告，求祂帮助我找到一个新的工作。然而一周周过去，我填写的申请表或在网络上投出的履历都石沉大海，无消无息。我开始感到不满，并且质问上帝：“祢难道不知道，拥有一份工作对我来说有多重要吗？”我双手交叉抱在胸前向上帝抗议，因祂似乎没有回应我的祷告。
我父亲常常提醒我，要信靠上帝的信实。我和他聊起找工作的情况时，他说：“我希望妳能学习更信靠上帝，相信祂言出必行。”
父亲的提醒，使我想起箴言第3章，提到了父母给挚爱的子女智慧的忠告。这段熟悉的经文，特别适用于我的处境：“你要专心仰赖耶和华，不可倚靠自己的聪明，在你一切所行的事上都要认定祂，祂必指引你的路”（箴言3章5-6节）。“指引你的路”即表示上帝会引导我们，走向祂所定的目标，使我们成长茁壮。祂最终的目的是要我越来越像祂。
这并不表示上帝会为我们安排一条康庄大道，但我可以选择相信祂的引导和祂所定的时间，最终都能使我得着益处。
你还在等待上帝的回应吗？不妨选择亲近上帝，并且相信祂必指引你的路。
亲爱的主，感谢祢一步步地引导、保守我们。
求祢帮助我们，天天信靠祢。
天父为我们安排的永远最好。