Starting Every Sum with God
Start every calculation with Christ—not fear, not lack, not past wrongs.
📚 Devotional Credit:
My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers
📸 Photo Credit:
Unsplash
Oswald Chambers reminds us that God is not an afterthought to be added once we’ve worked out our plans—He’s the very foundation of our reasoning. So often we unconsciously treat “spiritual life” as its own category while reserving practical decisions—finances, relationships, future planning—for our own management. But this fragmented thinking only leads to worry. God invites us to bring Him into every detail—not just for guidance, but because He is our peace, our wisdom, our provision.
When we leave God out of our calculations, fear finds a foothold. We’re tempted to strategize based on worst-case scenarios—whether the wrongs done to us or the potential “rainy days” of life. But Chambers urges us to recalculate—not based on human logic or what-ifs, but on the reality of God’s presence and love. Trusting Him means no longer leading with fear or what others have done, but leading with faith in what He’s already done and who He is in us.
Love, real love—the kind poured into our hearts by the Spirit—doesn’t keep score or begin its reasoning by factoring in evil. Instead, it starts fresh every time, calculating from the goodness of God rather than the brokenness of man. This doesn’t mean we ignore the presence of evil; it means we refuse to give it power in the decision-making process.
Jesus didn’t say our hearts might not be troubled. He commanded, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” That command isn’t a burden—it’s an invitation to abide. To return. To bring the troubled thought into His presence and walk forward in trust again. That’s how we get into the habit of including God in every sum: not by trying harder, but by returning more quickly.
📓 Journal Entry (Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture):
My child, I have never been a variable in your equation—I've always been the constant. Yet I wait to be invited into every sum of your life. When you calculate your options, your days, your relationships, your finances, your hopes—I am not watching from afar. I am within you, ready to guide your thoughts in peace, not fear.
You don’t need to dress up your concerns or bring them to Me with polished words. Come quickly. Come mid-thought. Come with the half-formed concern and the messy spreadsheet. I do not tire of your trust. I rejoice in it.
Start with Me, not with evil. Let love—not fear—set the framework for your decisions. Love does not factor in revenge. It doesn’t forecast disaster. It holds no grudges and saves no backup plan “just in case I fail you.” When you reason from My love, the path ahead becomes clear. Not easy—but lighted with truth.
Do not worry about rainy days. I am your covering. I am your provider. I am already there in your tomorrow. Today, just practice the habit of turning to Me in every small moment. Your troubled heart will quiet as you yield again. And again. I am your peace, and I dwell in you.
Scripture References:
Psalm 37:5–6, Proverbs 3:5–6, 1 Corinthians 13:4–5, John 14:27, Colossians 3:15, Philippians 4:6–7, Matthew 6:25–34, Romans 8:6, Isaiah 26:3, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Romans 5:5, Galatians 2:20
🪞Real-Life Analogy:
Think of the mental math we do before grocery shopping. We add up estimated costs before we leave the house—mentally subtracting coupons or recalling last week’s budget. But how often do we pause and invite God into the calculation? Not just to “bless our trip,” but to actually be our peace in the planning.
In the same way, today’s choices—who to call, how to respond to that email, how to prioritize your time—are invitations to start from a different sum: Christ in you. You can pause mid-thought and say, Lord, You dwell in me. I trust You to do this through me now. Whether it's deciding how to handle an unexpected bill or whether to speak in a tense conversation, start your calculation not from fear, but from the presence of Christ within.
🙏 Prayer of Confidence:
Father, I thank You that I don’t need to play out every outcome. I don’t have to keep score or store up for imaginary futures. You are here, You are sufficient, and You are trustworthy. Today, I walk in the reality that You dwell in me—not as a distant resource, but as the very life through which I think, speak, and act. When anxiety whispers, I return to You. When I face decisions, I lean into You. You are my wisdom, my love, my security. In You, I lack nothing.