If you needed to assemble and hang five ceiling fans, how would you approach this task? Read the instructions, just do it, or watch a video? Three attempts were made to hang the first fan before the directions were read! The next four fans were hung with relative ease. Are you grinning? Later, it was decided that an existing fan needed to be shimmed so it didn’t wobble. Shimming instructions were in the new fan directions, but after searching for them, it was discovered that they had been burnt! Can you relate? YouTube to the rescue!

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Men are often implicated in not wanting or following directions. We all have stories like the fan one that we laugh at later, but situations like this can also describe the way we approach life – my way, with no directions or help. What happens if you try to do life this way? You may venture down many different paths before you find one that works. There is a better way!

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In today’s verse, David writes that God always shows him the path of life. That is a BIG statement with BIG potential. Society tells men to be self-reliant, but God wants to show each man his individual path of life. He even gives directions if you are willing to follow them.

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James 4:8 tells us that if we come close to God, then He will come close to us. God is actually very close to Christians because the Holy Spirit lives in us! So how can you “sense” His closeness or presence? There are many unique ways to come close to God’s presence. My husband is closest outside in nature, while I seek His presence in the quiet of my greenhouse.

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In Psalm 16:5, David acknowledges that only God can satisfy him. As you seek the presence of God, let Him satisfy you. With His satisfaction, you are freer to love others, deepening and strengthening your relationships. Men and women ache for relationships full of love and joy, so seek God before family, work, or worldly pleasures. With God, your path in life will be more secure. This is better than man’s way without help or direction.

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The need to confess sins and purify hearts to be close to God is written in James 4:8, too. Recognizing your sins and asking God to forgive you will purify your heart. You come closer to God as you confess your sins, seek His presence, and listen. He begins to reveal the path of life for you if you ask, and what comes next is breathtaking. When you are in the presence of God, just like David in Psalm 16:11, you are filled with joy, forever in Heaven at His right hand. You are eternally secure in the glorious presence of your all-powerful God with everlasting joy! Come into His presence, and He will lead you down the best path for your life!

Take a few moments to read Psalm 16:1-11, which encourages us to seek the presence of God. It describes a life in which we can feel His presence, where you soak in His love, joy, grace, hope, companionship, care, power, and protection. That is the BIG potential! We do not need to do life alone. His presence changes everything! Fear fades and joy overflows!

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Challenge yourself to dedicate some time this week to seek God’s presence to find direction in your life and bask in joy!