In the past few weeks, the Lord has been leading us to
attend a church closer to where we live. This has not been easy because we gone
to our present church for twenty years. However, over time God has convinced us
that this is His will for us.
Yesterday, we told our friends at church. Each person
had a different reaction. Some were surprised, some not surprised. Some cried. Some
understood that where God leads, you must follow, even when it does not make
sense. Some related it to their own situations with trying to discern God’s leading.
One person was certain of what they were supposed to do, then found that reversed
by circumstances. Another told us of their obedience resulting in disaster. Two
people said we are making a mistake and they were going to try to talk us out
of it. The most discussion seemed centered around how a person knows the
leading of the Lord.
God’s leading was once a visible thing. Back when God’s
people came out of Egypt, He led them through the wilderness with signs they
could see.
In the daytime he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a fiery light. (Psalm 78:14)
This verse tells of visible signs yet even in this example,
there are some clues about the way God leads. Night speaks of darkness and not
knowing where I am going. In those situations, the leading of God can be the
brightest. It often stands in contrast to the confusion or hesitation that is
part of not being certain. That is, when life is murky the will of God can be totally
bright, like fireworks against the night sky.
His leading in the daytime is another matter. When I can
see what is happening around me, the leading of God might be more like a cloud.
I am aware of many things and unless the cloud is very prominent, it is not as
easy to see. There may be other clouds, other options. Which one is of God? How
can I know His leading in the midst of everything else that pulls at my
interest and affections?
I noticed yesterday that folks have ideas about how God
leads them and tend to think that everyone else makes decisions the same way as
they do. For instance, one person told me that the “leading of God” is mixed
with what you really want to do yourself and this must be what I really wanted.
Another said that God changes His mind based on the circumstances, indicating
that His leading is more about whatever way the wind blows, so if situations
change, we might change our mind.
Those ideas seem more about my will than God’s. Jesus teaches
that the leading of God is not about my I-wants. In fact, I cannot be certain
of His will until I’ve come to the place where I have dropped my own
preferences and am willing to go whatever direction He says. Jesus said,
If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. (John 7:17)
Dropping my own desires might take a long time. Part
of the problem is not recognizing them in the first place, or even thinking
there is anything wrong with what I want. However, Jesus prayed “Not my will
but Thine be done.” His will was never mixed with sin and selfishness. This speaks
to me. My will can be polluted. I need to drop my own desires if I’m going to hear
and follow God’s will.
For us, being aware of that ‘requirement’ made it
easier to pray, “Not our will, but Thine be done,” yet getting there took
several weeks. It also meant being aware and honest about our own motivations. We
finally came to the place of being willing to go or willing to stay, whatever God
wanted.
Once there, knowing God’s will becomes easier. Sometimes
His Word makes it clear, but on issues like this one, it was more like the Holy
Spirit nudging us, giving us a divine elbow in the ribs. Once we made the
decision that He wanted, the nudge was replaced by a sense of, “This is the
way; walk in it.”
Does going with the will of God mean everything will
be rosy? Not necessarily. Jesus prayed the same thing and willingly followed
the will of His Father. By doing so, He was crucified. The will of God may not
be a bed of roses, but it will be obedience, and never done in vain.
Our friends look for reasons. Our rational and human
minds want to have reasons. However, faith is not like that. Faith means that
when God sends a cloud or a fiery light, you follow it. We can ask why or what
He has in mind, but that is not necessarily an expression of faith. Instead, faith
just does what He says and lets Him decide how much He will show us about His
reasons and purposes for it.
Lord, I’m challenged by whoever said, “Live in such a
way that your life and actions cannot be explained by any other reason than God
is at work.” This is both a scary place to be and a delight. I don’t know what You
have planned, but I do know that yielding to Your plans is always better than
resisting. Yielding also makes walking with You a great adventure. We want to
be close to You, so clouds or bright lights, here we come.
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