It is so easy to plan activities. present and future and then ask God to bless them.
There are many ways we do this: we read a book and are challenged; we hear a speaker tell of God’s call; we listen to a counselor who assures us that we are gifted; we have an older brother or sister whose success inspires us. Each has value. However, God may have a different path for you.
One thing we know for certain: God wants to direct our steps. In the midst of all these good goals, the Lord may have a better one for you. If you will prayerfully ask Him to direct you, He will. But you must be sensitive to God’s voice and willing to follow His directions.
The following verses in Psalm 123:2,3 give a very clear picture of how we should discern the plan the Father has for us:
” Behold as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the eyes of her mistress; so, our eyes wait upon the Lord our God until that he has mercy upon us.“
Now notice the setting for this. You are a servant in a large, crowded and noisy dining room. The guests are laughing and visiting with one another. The meal is half over, and you are now standing at a short distance from your employer. You have been trained to be alert and to watch him. If he needs something from you, he will simply raise a hand, which is seen only by you. You immediately go to him, and he whispers to you what he wants you to do.
One application of this is found in First Kings 19: 9-15. In this passage Elijah Is it running for his life and ready to give up and die. But God speaks to the prophet: first, in a great and strong wind, then in an earthquake, next in a fire and finally the sound of a low whisper. If God wants your attention and to give you instructions, but you must listen for his voice.
God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. But you must lay it all on the line before Him, and when you hear his voice, you must listen and follow Him. How do we hear his voice? by having a personal quiet time with the Lord, by hearing the Bible preached by a faithful servant and especially by a personal study of the word of God!
Jesus said:” My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)
If you are facing a decision or are in a difficult situation don’t wait for the wind, the earthquake or the fire, but take the initiative and listen for that whisper: the voice of the Lord Jesus. As you follow the personal steps noted above, and should you need confirmation seek council from your pastor or a brother or sister in the Lord.
I love that old song which says trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
How sensitive are you to God’s plan for your life?