2 minute read.
Daily Reading: 2 Chronicles 14:1-16:14 ESV, Romans 9:1-24 ESV, Psalm 19:1-14 ESV, Proverbs 20:1 ESV
Daily Verse: “I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— “ (Romans 9:1 ESV)
SUNEIDESIS (4893): “Literally means “a knowing,” a co-knowledge with one’s self, the witness borne to one’s conduct by conscience, that faculty by which we apprehend the will of God, as that which is designed to govern our lives. That process of thought which distinguishes what it considers morally good or bad, commending the good, condemning the bad, and so prompting the former to do the former, ad avoid the latter, Rom 2:15 (bearing witness with God’s law) Rom. 9:1.”[i]
A knowing
Co-knowledge with oneself, a knowing that directs us from within our souls, conscience guides us in God’s will. As a lifelong Christ follower, I believe the better you know the scriptures, the more your conscience will speak to you. What we put into our minds becomes evident by the actions we take.
“You’re the one who has to sleep with yourself,” mom said. Over my lifetime, the words came from my mother’s lips often. Her advice remained the same when faced with tough decisions and forks in the road that could lead to different places. Years after she moved to heaven, I still hear her voice at pivotal moments, reminding me that we must live with our decisions.
Follow the prompt.
The longer you follow Jesus, the more prompts you will receive. As you learn about His ways and begin memorizing the scriptures’ wisdom, the Holy Spirit will guide you. Moments of uncertainty will come with a nudge in one direction or another.
For instance, Solomon tells us in the book of Proverbs that the borrower becomes a slave to the lender. Recalling my days steeped in credit card debt, I quickly realized the truth of these words. I didn’t sleep well when I laid my head down to rest with a mound of bills. But once I worked to become debt free, my evening’s rest became much sweeter. No longer a slave to the lender, I slept like a baby.
Now, I listen to God’s prompting whenever I get the urge to overspend. Solomon’s words pop into my mind, and I restrain myself. I do have to sleep with the decisions I make. Following Jesus helps me make better decisions.
Let the Holy Spirit guide you from within your heart. Read and memorize scripture to help you deal with life’s tricky situations. When in doubt, take the high road, and do what Jesus did. Without a doubt, you will sleep much better.
[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 241) Thomas Nelson
