Deliberate much?

You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully. Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees! (Psalm 119:4-5)

Living in such a way so as to DELIBERATELY avoid harm or error - that is what God asks of us. It is this 'deliberate' part that we must focus on today. Conscious and intentional actions, done with consistency over the long run will lead to right living that honors God. 

Too many times, actions are committed that are kind of impulsive - the exact opposite of deliberate or intentional behavior. We see or hear something, then we react. How many of us have come to realize that 'reacting' to life is seldom the best alternative?

According to most psychological studies, deliberate individuals make very 'conscious' decisions that have come from quite a bit of analysis of the facts they are faced with. There are indeed times when we don't have all the facts, but we still need to make right decisions. This is why it is so important to get God's word into us on a consistent basis - so it guides us when we don't know all the facts.

Deliberate actions not only stem from knowing how to problem-solve, but they come from knowing who the problem-solver is in their lives. It isn't them - it is the Spirit of God that dwells within them that assists them to make wise choices when they don't know what to do. God's intent was for us to get to know his commands well enough that they would guide our steps when choices seemed to get a little 'messy' or 'muddy'.

While we won't 'get it right' 100% of the time, we stand a much better chance of making deliberate, consistently wise choices the more we get to know the one who shelters us and keeps us safe from the unwise ones. Just sayin!