Neither circumstance nor counsel alone should determine God's guidance. They must work in conjunction with persevering prayer, dependence on the Holy Spirit, and immersion in God's Word. George Sweeting writes in How to Discover the Will of God: "Often guidance in the will of God will come to us in the normal circumstances of life, through opened and closed doors. But be careful not to give this area more consideration than it deserves. Satan can also open and shut doors of opportunity. Gather all the facts and prayerfully seek the mind of God. " With that said, it can be difficult to discern whether or not we are progressing in the right direction. God asks us to wait for His answer and well we should. But He also can use the fog of uncertainty in a corrective manner to re chart our course, rethink our request or examine our relationship with Him. Common factors that can obscure the unfolding of His plan are disobedience, doubt, manipulation, wrong motivation, ignoring responsibilities, rejecting the channel or means, and our pride. What I am guilty of and am learning is to not assume I did the wrong thing when I run into trouble. He does not want us to become neurotic about missing His will. I am learning not to expect God to reveal His life plan for me all at once. Knowing God's will is a step by step, day by day process in which we develop Christian character and maturity. The Christian life is one of faith and that involves dependence on God. But waiting on God is not passive, but going about your tasks, knowing that God is orchestrating for your good. Be strong and of good faith and don't give in. And remember today not to get caught in the "paralysis of analysis" but instead keep up your daily routine and keep your spiritual eyes and ears alert to God's small surprises. Be blessed by these words and may you find encouragement from them. God loves you!
*excerpts taken from Charles Stanley's Discovering the Will of God.
Psalm 40:8
No comments:
Post a Comment