Too Much and Enough

Have you ever felt drawn to something that turned out to be more harmful than good?

Marie Curie was a highly acclaimed physicist and chemist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The first woman to win a Nobel prize, she is famous for developing and proving the theory of radioactivity.

Unfortunately, the damaging effects of radiation were not yet known, and long term exposure led to Dr. Curie’s premature death.

She was poisoned by her passion.

There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

Proverbs 16:25 (NIV)

History is replete with examples of activities that seemed relatively harmless–at the time–but later turned out to be deadly. The health risks of smoking comes to mind.

So how does one know, in the present moment, what passions to pursue or avoid?

Wise king Solomon, of ancient Israel, provides the answer in one of his many proverbs.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

In reality, the whole universe is a minefield. Think for a moment: Just how much of what happens on Earth is actually under our direct control?

We have weather forecasters, not “sure”castors.

Sadly, so many of life’s questions end with the same shaky answer: I don’t know.

But the Lord does.

Kind reader, may the heavenly path rise up to meet us, as we trust God’s turn-by-turn guidance, AMEN!

But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.

Job 23:10 (NIV)

Thank you for reading. 🙏❤️ prayers and love

Photos by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

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49 responses to “Too Much and Enough”

  1. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Thank you, Angie. Some of my analogies are better than others. This one has a few holes in it, as another commenter said. I was simply thinking about how something that seems harmless (at the time, or little by little) could add up to something harmful. Thanks for sharing. God Bless!

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Angie Avatar

    Great thought provoking post. How much better would we be if we took a moment occasionally examining our passions I love that you included Proverbs three because I claim that verse often when I’m in and argument with myself on whether or not the path I am taking is the right one. Another Jewel!

    Liked by 1 person

  3. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Thanks. I’ll hang on to it, and also pass it on to H. His birthday is on Halloween.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. gracefuladdict Avatar

    Great! I think the old address doesn’t work anymore- but this one will bettygraceangels@gmail.com
    Also my sons bday is this month too! He’s on the 17th – turning 21!! 😱❤️

    Liked by 1 person

  5. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Thanks, Danielle. I have your email address, and so does my son, H. I share your posts with him often. He turns 28 this month.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. gracefuladdict Avatar

    Wow – that is very difficult when it’s one of your loved ones David – it’s a whole different ball game – sometimes I think it’s more difficult because it’s so out of our hands ♥️please reach out anytime- I can send you my email address if you ever need 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  7. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Thanks, Danielle. You’re such an inspiration to me—writing uplifting and hopeful posts that also keep it real.

    My son has been clean and sober since this past June. Here’s hoping and praying he can stay that way.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. gracefuladdict Avatar

    I needed this one David 🙏♥️

    Liked by 1 person

  9. davidsdailydose Avatar

    True. I’ve heard stories of the great preachers of old, men like Charles Finney, who refused to read anything but the Bible.

    Like

  10. jesusluvsall Avatar

    If we desire wisdom in a decision, we can ask our heavenly father. For many things, God has revealed his will and wisdom for us in the bible to guide us.

    Liked by 1 person

  11. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Thank you for sharing yet another excellent scripture to go with this topic, Nancy!
    Trusting the Lord and letting Him lead isn’t always easy, but it’s certainly rewarding—both in this life and the one to come! His best to you.

    Like

  12. Nancy Ruegg Avatar

    This is one of many reasons why life with God is the best life: he instructs us and teaches us in the ways we should go; he counsels us with his watchful eye upon us (Psalm 32:8). Not that we won’t make mistakes, or that we’ll lead perfectly safe and secure lives. But we WILL enjoy peace, joy, contentment, and more as we follow God’s ways

    Liked by 1 person

  13. davidsdailydose Avatar

    The second half is also the hardest part of the scripture for me, Beth. Had it not been for the Holy Spirit’s gentle “check,” there have been times when I would have blazed my own path instead.

    Thanks for reading and commenting. God Bless!

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Beth Alisan Avatar

    A nugget of wisdom here David- “In reality, the whole universe is a minefield.” I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know Proverb’s 3:5-6 which means I memorized it when I was quite young. That said, I still find the hardest part of the verse to be “lean not on your own understanding.” I think that portion is one of the keys to keeping your foot from stepping into a minefield.

    Liked by 1 person

  15. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Thank you, Peggy. And the same to you!

    Liked by 1 person

  16. peggywritesblog Avatar

    Blessings to you and your family!

    Liked by 1 person

  17. davidsdailydose Avatar

    You’ve summed it up better than I did, Peggy. Thank you, and God Bless!

    Liked by 1 person

  18. peggywritesblog Avatar

    Wonderful reminder, David! Put God first and the rest of the path becomes clearer. Thanks for sharing.

    Liked by 1 person

  19. davidsdailydose Avatar

    “To trust is to be humbly led.” Gary, this is what I meant to say, but in far fewer words!

    My analogy about Curie was less than stellar, as Betty pointed out. What I meant to say is she didn’t realize how dangerous too
    much exposure to radioactive ☢️ materials was. Thank you for sharing, as always, Gary. God Bless!

    Liked by 1 person

  20. Gary Fultz Avatar

    So much of the things we encounter in life are beyond us…It seems no matter how smart and wise we are, our natural default system is to trust our ignorance rather than God’s leading. To trust is to be humbly led. God’s ways are counter intuitive to ours.

    Liked by 1 person

  21. God Still Speaks Avatar

    What a great comeback reply!

    Liked by 1 person

  22. davidsdailydose Avatar

    It’s going into my tool box! It sounds like Chris, from 140 character Christian will use it, too. And if someone asks me what I’m doing, I’ll say, “I’m getting stronger.”🙏❤️

    Liked by 1 person

  23. God Still Speaks Avatar

    Yup, like we mentioned last week, shutting the door and getting alone with Jesus.

    Liked by 1 person

  24. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Amen, sister. Taking the time to listen is my latest challenge. Everyday. Every time.

    Liked by 1 person

  25. God Still Speaks Avatar

    Trust the Holy Spirit’s discernment within us and we’ll be just fine.

    Liked by 1 person

  26. BerryBunch.family Avatar
    BerryBunch.family

    Yes indeed.

    Liked by 1 person

  27. davidsdailydose Avatar

    I can relate, brother. Moving at the world’s pace, and at its discretion, can be a recipe for disaster. Thankfully, God is there to guide our path.

    Liked by 1 person

  28. BerryBunch.family Avatar
    BerryBunch.family

    Trusting in the Lord’s ways – so much less stressful.

    God has proven Himself so many times…and how frequently – and how quickly – do we seek to over rule His perfect ways.

    Well I’ll be honest and say I know I do!!

    Great post.

    Andy B

    Liked by 2 people

  29. Majik Avatar

    Great! And speaking of David & Solomon & Leonard Cohen, here’s my latest “Lousy Haiku.” https://lousyhaiku.blog/2023/09/16/lousy-haiku-305/

    Liked by 1 person

  30. Don't Lose Hope Avatar

    Yes, it often happens gradually. And, yes, the colours are gorgeous! I love summer but the colours of Fall are hard to beat 🙂 Have a great weekend.

    Liked by 1 person

  31. davidsdailydose Avatar

    I don’t mind at all, Betty! From what I’ve read, neither Dr. Curie or her scientist husband regretted their choice to study radioactivity. Like you said she dedicated her life to the pursuit of knowledge, and sacrificed her life for it as well. In my book, this makes her a heroine. As you say, enjoy your day! Thanks for sharing, and God bless.

    Liked by 1 person

  32. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Yes, it’s amazing. Indeed! Thanks, for chiming in, brother. I plan to write some micro poetry this weekend.

    Liked by 1 person

  33. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Truth. It’s far too easy to be poisoned by our passions. And it can happen gradually—so we don’t even know it. Simply put, the world’s favored paths are often not God’s. Heavenly guidance is needed—turn by turn.
    Thank you for stopping by! I suppose it’s already a beautiful Canadian autumn. Blessings.

    Like

  34. Betty Avatar

    Proverbs 3:5-6 is a powerful verse and a comforting one to me, especially during the troubled times in my life. However, I do want to mention my thoughts on Marie Curie. Yes, her work led to an early death, but her work was in pursuit of knowledge. Her and her husband’s discovery was monumental and led to improved lives for many. She dedicated her life and sacrificed for others. This seems holy to me. Now smoking, on the other hand, is a pursuit of pleasure. David, your post has excellent inspiration as usual. I hope you don’t mind me offering an alternative view for one of your analogies.

    Liked by 1 person

  35. Majik Avatar

    And yet, the Savior of the world came from this line of sinners. Amazing, huh!

    Liked by 1 person

  36. Majik Avatar

    Yeah and for his daddy too.

    Liked by 1 person

  37. davidsdailydose Avatar

    I love your eye for history, brother. The story about toxic wallpaper is intriguing. Napoleon also became a toxic leader—resulting in his banishment. His skill at drawing people together became his undoing—when it was done for the wrong reasons. I recently read if Hitler would have died in 1938, he’d be remembered as a hero. Unfortunately, most unfortunately, he became a poisoned leader as well.

    Liked by 1 person

  38. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Good point, Majik. We all have feet of clay—even the wisest of us. Having only one wife at a time, for Solomon, would have been a better idea. 😊

    Liked by 1 person

  39. Don't Lose Hope Avatar

    I was actually just thinking along this themes this morning, David. I was thinking how each of our choices can affect the trajectory of our lives, and that includes interests which become passions (and even seemingly good passions can cloud our thinking and take over/ destroy our lives). How much we need the Laws and wisdom of God … because God WILL guide us to good, healthy paths.

    Liked by 1 person

  40. Alan Kearns Avatar

    Good post David! It reminded me of a time in history when wallpaper was all the fashion for European houses of the rich. Sadly early wallpaper was made using arsenic which bled out into the atmosphere, killing many. One famous victim was Napoleon. A classic example that we humans don’t know really what is best for us.

    Liked by 1 person

  41. Majik Avatar

    But how come King Solomon didn’t or couldn’t take his own wise advise?

    Liked by 1 person

  42. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Thank you, Vera. I tried to let Solomon do the talking. He was a wise guy, indeed! Blessings to you.

    Liked by 1 person

  43. K.L. Hale Avatar

    It’s my blessing! You’re welcome! Amen! Happy Saturday, my friend! Take care! 🙏

    Liked by 1 person

  44. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Thank you, Karla. I appreciate your prayers! I don’t want to expend energy pursuing the wrong path, either. 🙏May we both stay on the Lord’s “Straight and Narrow.” Blessings!

    Liked by 1 person

  45. Vera Day Avatar

    Wise words, David!

    Liked by 1 person

  46. K.L. Hale Avatar

    A beautiful reminder, David! This morning, in my Bible devotion, I began the book of Proverbs (having read and prayed about King Solomon). It’s a comfort to know that true wisdom is found only in the Lord. Boy, pursuing anything other than his purpose has not been a “sure” thing at all! The wrong passion can be poison for certain! I’d rather follow God’s “purpose” than my passion! God bless you, David. I lift you in prayers!

    Like

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