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"Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
'This is the way, walk in it,'
Whenever you turn to the right hand
Or whenever you turn to the left."
(Isaiah 30:21)
When faced with a decision, we all desire to choose wisely and go in the way God is leading us. Not every opportunity that comes our way is God's will for us. You may receive what appears to be a golden opportunity, but after much prayer and seeking God, you decide to say no to the opportunity. But how do you know which way to go? Isaiah writes about a time when the people of God would hear a clear word: "This is the way, walk in it." There are times when God's will is so crystal clear that you cannot miss it. But there will be other times when it will not be so clear as to which path you should take – at least, not clear at the beginning. I believe that when you diligently seek God and His will in any matter that is before you, the Lord will speak to you and guide you in the way you should go.
I was asked recently to take on a new assignment. It would not take me away from being the pastor at Great Hills Baptist Church nor the president of DFEA. It would be a volunteer position in addition to the ministries God has given me to lead. What should I do? What would you do if faced with a similar opportunity? If you are a follower of Jesus, then you will need to decide if this is God's will for your life or not.
When I received this phone call, I immediately spoke to my wife Ashley about the opportunity. She had some great counsel for me. As Pastor Mark Batterson likes to say, "It is amazing how similar my godly wife's voice is to the Holy Spirit's!" I asked for a week or two to pray over the matter. God loves it when we bring opportunities like this before His throne and humbly seek His divine will. He wants us to know His will for us more than we do. A couple of other things I do when trying to know the will of God is go to the Word of God and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as He speaks through the awesome Book that He wrote. One more thing: I ask other trusted followers of Jesus to please pray for me that I would know clearly what God's will is in this matter.
Are you searching for an answer to an opportunity that has been presented to you? Are you trying to decide on any number of important decisions before you? Marriage? Education? Job opportunity? As you try to ascertain the will of God, be open to God speaking to you and either confirming and saying yes or instead telling you no. He will speak. It might take more time than you like. But God is in control; we are on His timetable; He is not on ours! Be still and pray, read the Word of God with an open heart and mind, listen to the counsel of mature followers of Jesus, and finally, be open to instances where you might be tempted to think that it was just a coincidence. It could be God giving you direction.
I will close this week's devotions with my new favorite song. I had not heard of this Christian band until recently. The band is All Creatures, and the title of the song is " Wonder Working". Take a minute, turn up the volume, and be blessed: |
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