Is God doing a new thing?

 

Choices between the will of God and my will are relatively easy because I see the selfishness of my will. But what about the choices that have pluses on both sides, those choices between what is good and what is best? Is it as black and white concerning my will vs. His?

We are faced with a decision that involves clarity. For me, the will of God is not yet clear because either choice could be the right one. But my emotions are mixed to the point that I am not able to discern my will in this matter. Knowing what I want could clarify what God wants. Or are the emotions involving my will causing this confusion?

It does not help that today’s devotional reading says that without any regard to the state of our emotions, I must have the right attitude toward the will of God. Since He is not telling me what choice He wants, that means I must blindly yield, like Abraham:

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. (Genesis 12:1)

This man had no idea where God would take him, but in faith he went as the Lord told him, taking his family and all their possessions. I’ve been able to yield ‘no matter what’ to smaller things, but this is a larger choice. Yielding to one or the other would be okay as far as I can see because He isn’t telling me His will in the matter, only presenting two opportunities.

That means I have to be willing to do whatever, not have a preference until He helps me with all the reasonings and preferences that keep wandering through my head. It means being willing to go with either choice, having my will given up to Him no matter what it is or when He reveals it. It may also mean making the choice and trusting Him with the results.

Decisions like this need to be unencumbered with a lot of unmanageable feelings. If I have any emotions, I’m not to be troubled by them. I’m simply to put my will in God’s hands and leave it there.

Another devotional reading happens to speak of the same thing. It adds this thought: “When Jesus asks us what we want Him to do for us in regard to the incredible thing with which we are faced, remember that He does not work in commonsense ways, but in supernatural ways.” I’m not to limit Him by past experience, neither success or failures. He can do the impossible so that should never enter into decision-making. If I ask His help, He gives what is needed because He does the impossible thing as naturally as breathing. My stress is about not trusting Him, nor about His power to do something.

This is about the depth of my trust. One of our choices is easy. The other seems impossible. Is that a clue? Is God asking us to launch out into the deep?

Jesus saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken. (Luke 5:2–9)

If so, then God will surprise us with the results. Like this story, my needs are to be met in the deep things of God and His Word, with deeper meaning than ever before. Is He asking for deeper trust?

PRAY: Lord, I know You are with us even in places of difficulty. Yet this perplexity seems a test of trust to see if we will rely on Your grace and power. I sense that You will deliver us and give us a lesson we will never forget and never be able to thank You enough for having done whatever You are going to do. Continue to guide us in the right direction and make the best decision.