by Richelle Hecker

Discerning God’s Truth

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

One quiet morning as I poured my first cup of coffee, my son walked into the room and exclaimed, “Wow! What’s that doing there!” I turned around to see him pointing out a high window. There was a rainbow striped hot air balloon floating by low over the neighborhood. I went outside to watch it travel overhead and discovered that a large basket full of people were about to land in a park behind my house. Perhaps this tour landed here on purpose, but I couldn’t help wondering whether the people in the basket received the ride they were expecting.

False promises can easily lead us astray. The hot air balloon in today’s picture brings to mind the problem of chasing rainbows. Chasing rainbows means to constantly pursue things that are unrealistic or unlikely to happen. We are prone to run after hopes and dreams that we were never meant to pursue. Sometimes we are led astray by the assuring voices that do not belong to God.  God’s promises can be difficult for us to discern. 

This is like riding around in a hot air balloon. There is no way to steer the balloon, it simply travels the direction and speed of the wind. If you have no set destination that could be very peaceful, but when you have somewhere you need to be it could quickly become frustrating. God has a set destination for us in our walk of faith. He desires that we know who He is and who we are within His creation.

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves,and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.”
Ephesians 4:14-15 New International Version

Work to be discerning about the teaching and doctrine you receive. Be careful about the voices you listen to and make sure they line up with God’s Word. That is how to become a mature child of God.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado