daily devotional

Faith or Family

Read Hebrews 11:8-10

More than 50 years ago, my parents were not convinced that Cynthia was the best mate for me. They were sincere, but on that matter, they were wrong. Had I listened to them, I would not have married the woman I should have married.

We recently celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary.

Now, if they are believers and if they're walking with the Lord, parents are usually good counsellors on most things. But they don't walk on water. Sometimes parents can be short-sighted and selfish. This is also true of other family members, and sometimes your immediate family represents the most difficult part of your obeying the will of God. They may even become resentful or angry when they disagree with your life decisions. But when a crisis of belief occurs, faith and obedience must prevail. Releasing and risking will be required. First and foremost we are to do God's will. That's Obedience 101!

Faith, not sight, is what works here. Just turn your decisions over to the Lord, rest in the confidence that He is working out His plan for your life, and He will fix things up with your family.

The One to whom we should be faithful invented the family!

Excerpted from Day by Day with Charles Swindoll, Copyright © 2000 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. (Thomas Nelson Publishers). All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.