3.4.2026 - Gladys DeBruyne

Christ - Submitted to the Father (Self-Control)

Wednesday, March 4, 2026

My name is Gladys DeBruyne.  I am a member of the River Church along with my husband who is the pastor of visitation.  I am a retired educator, having worked over 25 years, primarily in kindergarten and first grade.  We are natives of West Michigan living there for 35 years before we moved to California in 1991.  We have two grown children, 5 grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren.

Scripture: Proverbs 3:6

In all your ways, submit to Him, He will make your paths straight.

It sounds so simple, doesn't it? “In all your ways, submit to Him.” How does that work? As we saw yesterday with the disciples, this is a hard call. We all struggle with giving up control. Can we live up to this command? Our sinful nature keeps getting in the way. In all your ways - don’t get overwhelmed with the word all. It sounds overwhelming if you look at the big picture, but let’s take it a step at a time. Start with today. You are starting right if you are reading this devotion in the morning before you start your day. Start your day by committing the day to Him, submitting that He is in control and ask Him to guide you in all through your day mentally, pray and hand it over to God. Ask Him to walk with you, give him control over your actions and your words.

Another good way to start the day is reading scripture, immersing yourself in His Word. Take a favorite verse or one that speaks to you in your devotions and make note of it, so it pops up in your mind as you go through the day. When I was teaching, there was a particular year where I faced enormous struggles in my job. I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. My sister shared a verse with me, and it was like God was speaking to my heart. I looked up this verse, wrote it down on a post it note and placed it in the center of my desk. Every time, I sat down, my eyes zoomed in on this verse - it was like God speaking to me again, taking control of the situation I was in. Now, things didn’t change in a day, but I changed. I let God work within me daily. I didn’t know how I was going to make through that year, but He did. But it was a daily act of laying my thoughts and desires before Him. As I look back on that year, I would not have made it without that daily submission of myself to His Will. My faith was strengthened because I relied on Him to get me through.

The last part of that verse - “He will make your paths straight.” - it does not say everything will immediately be perfect once Jesus takes control. There will be bumps and obstacles on your way. The next verse after that in Proverbs says, “Do not be wise in your own eyes…”. He will make your path straight - I think that means He will pave the way for us, He will walk us through the valley. Do not rely on your own strength but on him who sees the way ahead of you. We need only to follow.

The point of this is - getting closer to God is going to make it easier for us to follow this directive of “in all our ways, submit to Him” The closer we get to God, the more we want to please Him, to live in HIs will, we want what He wants. How do we get closer - by reading HIs Word and communicating with Him through prayer. We have such an important tool that God supplied us with to be in direct contact with Him. Utilize the gift of prayer. Talk to him through every part of your day. He is there right beside you.

Start with one day at a time. Maybe, a good ending point to the day can be to journal what places you recognized God acting through you in the day, guiding you, speaking to your heart, orchestrating the events that take place. Confess to Him the times you messed it up. This exercise helps to evaluate and understand that God has this. He is watching over your path. Each day is a section of the path of your life. Give that day, that section to God and as you go through life, the bigger picture will fall into place. You will recognize where God intervened, where God placed you in the exact right moment.

God has HIs hand on your day today. Will you take a moment right now and acknowledge that to Him? Let Him know you want Him to be there for everything that happens today, even if things go wrong, God is still there, working. Submit to Him. Give your love to Him and acknowledge His lordship. 

“Lord, You are my God and I will ever praise you!”