Daily Devotions

“But those who listen to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.”
— Proverbs 1:33

How do you see the world—glass half empty, or glass half full? I once heard a radio interview with a man who had lost his sight as a teenager. When asked how he viewed life, he simply said, “I’m a three-quarters full kind of guy.” His optimism wasn’t rooted in denial of hardship, but in a deeper hope.

That honest yet hopeful spirit echoes in Adam Mabry’s words from The Art of Rest: Faith to Hit Pause in a World that Never Stops:

“The problems of life are real, not imaginary. Eastern meditation starts with the presupposition that pain in this world is illusory, but the gospel tells us that we don't have to pretend that what hurts does not, or should not. Life does hurt. Yet the gospel doesn't leave us there. Rest with God grows our ability to say, ‘I know God, and I know he will deliver me.’ It enables us to face problems with both honesty and hope.”

We don’t deny pain—but neither do we drown in it. Instead, Proverbs tells us that those who listen to God’s wisdom will dwell securely and live with ease. That doesn’t mean an easy life, but a life grounded in the peace and presence of God, free from the dread of disaster.

F.B. Meyer once told the story of two German climbers ascending the Matterhorn. They hired three guides and began their trek tied together by a single rope. The last man lost his footing, pulling down the man above him—and then another. But the lead guide had driven his spike deeply into the ice. He alone held firm. Because of him, the others regained their footing and survived.

That’s a vivid picture of what it means to be anchored in God’s wisdom. When others falter or fear overtakes us, it's the one who is fastened to the rock of God’s Word who holds firm. Our security doesn’t come from ourselves—it comes from the One who never slips.

St Augustine said it plainly:

“When people choose to withdraw far from a fire, the fire continues to give warmth, but they grow cold. When people choose to withdraw far from light, the light continues to shine, but they are in darkness. So too, when people withdraw from God.”

God remains constant, but we must choose to stay close—close enough to hear, to follow, and to trust.

A Prayer:

Dear Lord,
I come before you today, standing on the promise of Proverbs 1:33:
"Whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."
I want to be someone who listens—deeply, daily—to your voice.
I choose your wisdom over my worry, your truth over my fear.
Anchor me in your presence.
Give me peace, not by removing life’s storms,
but by being my shelter through them.
Keep me close to the fire of your love and the light of your truth.
Through Christ my rock and redeemer,
Amen.