You don't know what tomorrow holds, but you do know who holds tomorrow. Say this with the psalmist:
O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; nor do I involve myself in great matters, or in things too difficult for me. Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child rests against his mother, my soul is like a weaned child within me. O [substitute your name], hope in the Lord from this time forth and forever (Psalm 131).
The place of rest that the psalmist found was a result of the choice he made. This quietness of soul did not come naturally to him. He chose to put his hope in God. Are you trying to involve yourself in matters that are too great for you? Can you see into a man's heart? Can you know the future? You know Someone who does know men's hearts and the future. Patiently rest against His chest. He will bring you the peace you need....
By an act of your will you must choose to trust God regardless of what happens.
The opposite of faith is fear. Lately, I find myself repeating that over and over. A good friend of mine, is preparing to begin a new chapter in her life. She's at a crossroads. She needs to find her place in this world. She's being pulled in several directions. These people want her here. These people want her there. Her mother wants her to do this. She wants to do that.
This friend of mine often asks my advice. My advice rarely changes.
'Pray about it.'
'But then what?' she inevitably asks.
'Listen and obey.'
'How do I know it's God talking to me?'
Easy question, hard answer. Discerning Gods voice can be tricky. It's something you feel in the depth of your soul. If you are praying over your career, and suddenly doors seem to fly open in one direction, I would say that is God. If you are praying over a move to one town over another, and there's no affordable living in one, I would say that is a sign from God.
When I saw Beth Moore speak last September, she spoke of discerning Gods voice. You can read my take on her talk here.
To discern the voice of God you need to take away your biases. Rather than praying that God brings you this job, pray that He will show you the job He wants you in. Rather than pray that God will pave the way for you to move to a certain city, pray that He will lead you to where He intends for you to be. By praying for His will, rather than your own, you are ensuring that you will be going the path He intends you to be on. This may not be the path you would choose for yourself, but it will be the path that is best for you. He knows better than you do. He knows what the future holds for you. He has plans for you.
I'll choose to follow my God wherever He leads me, how about you?
No comments:
Post a Comment