John Stanko | On August 19, 2015

Nathan (prophet) advising King David (Painted by Matthias Scheits) (1672)

“Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me”

– Psalm 31:3.

David was in trouble (again) and cried out to the Lord in one long prayer contained in Psalm 31. In the midst of his pain, he prayed that God would lead and guide him. God must make His will clear to you if He expects you to fulfill it, and He is a great communicator who has any number of ways of getting through to you. The problem is that fear or unbelief can cloud your sight and block your ability to hear. The writer of Hebrews warned against this tendency in Hebrews 3: “See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. As has just been said: ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion'” (3:12-15). Has there been something on your heart to do for years, but you keep putting if off? Do you have a recurring thought but dismiss it as your own voice instead of God’s? Where is fear causing you to misinterpret or block out God’s voice that you have prayed would come and guide you?

Today’s reading – Psalm 31-35

John Stanko

John Stanko was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and attended Duquesne University where he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics in 1972 and 1974 respectively.

Since then, John has served as an administrator, teacher, consultant, author, and pastor in his professional career. He holds a second master’s degree in pastoral ministries, and earned his Doctor of Ministry from Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh in 2011.

John founded a personal and leadership development company, called PurposeQuest, in 2001 and today travels the world to speak, consult and inspire leaders and people everywhere. From 2001-2008, he spent six months a year in Africa and still enjoys visiting and working on that continent, while teaching for Geneva College’s Masters of Organizational Leadership and the Center for Urban Biblical Ministry in his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Most recently, John founded Urban Press, a publishing service designed to tell stories of the city, from the city and to the city.