Craftiness

There was this verse in my devotion this morning. There was something about it that grabbed my heart and spoke to me right where I am. A shocker, right? I am being sarcastic, for those of you who do not know me well. It's not a shocker at all. That's the way that it is with the Word of God. The Bible is a living, breathing book. And God really does speak to me through it. He speaks plainly and openly to me. God will take a verse that I've read or heard preached a hundred times, and that I've studied a dozen times, and from it He'll give me something new. He cuts right through to the secret issues of my heart. The struggle that I am going through that not another living soul knows about. No one but Him. So He knows my struggle. He knows how quickly and easily I fall into sin in my thoughts. How my flesh rises up and I want my own way. How I want to figure out how to make my own way work and plan it all out. How I want to make a list of what to do next, and what I should do after that. All to get my own way. Now, if I told you what 'my own way' was, you would probably say that that was a good thing. A very good thing that I wanted, and that it would certainly be God-pleasing, and that I should go for it. But don't you see? That's just it. It's MY way. No matter how good or right it looks, if it's my way I have problems. Because I've learned to wait on Him. To want His way, and not by my own devises. To trust Him to lead. This was my verse: 2 Corinthians 4:2 - "But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God." ...and the line that jumped out at me was this: "...not walking in craftiness". And then, the line from my devotion to go with the Scripture: '...not resorting to what will carry your point.' That's it exactly! I pray. I wrestle with God. I give it to Him. I trust and wait on Him. I honestly only want His will. But then, I think. And in thinking, if I'm not very careful, I begin to plan and scheme. I begin to walk in craftiness. I resort to 'carrying out my point'. I do it myself. I get ahead of God. Or maybe, I go where He wasn't going to lead me at all. And then He rebukes me, as He did this morning. Not like the wrath of God, as some might think as they read that. He deals gently with me, like a loving daddy. Just a raised eyebrow. But I see it. And I know. Back on my knees, where I should have stayed in the first place. Oh, the joy of walking this way, knowing that you can't mess it up. You can't go the wrong way. At least you can't as long as you stay close enough to see when He raises His eyebrow.