Discerning God's Will
This past Sunday's sermon had me thinking about several things related to the points Pastor Philip made. I thought I would share them today.
1. "Lord, what is your will?" Over my many years of vocational ministry, I've had many people tell me that they can't figure out what God wants them to do in a particular situation. The truth is that most of the time, God has already given us the answers. We either don't know the Bible well enough, or we don't like what the Bible says. In the case of the Danites in Judges 18, God was expressely clear. I (Yahweh) have given you this portion of the land. If you follow My commands, I will go before you and drive out the people. Taking a portion of the Promised Land from another tribe was in direct disobedience to Yahweh's very clear words. Let me give you a few "for instances" from my experience:
- "Josh, should I date/marry this person who is not a follower of Jesus? I can't figure out God's will." The answer is no. The Bible is filled with commands about not binding yourself to someone who is not a follower of Jesus. And as I taught my children, do not date someone you would not be willing to marry.
- "Josh, should I need to work but my job requires that I work seven days a week. I don't know what God wants me to do!" I had a teenager who was interning for me who got a job where they wanted her to work every weekend and she was going to school five days a week. She needed the money as well. I told her that the Bible was pretty clear about taking a sabbath every week and that God would bless her if she was obedient. She told her job she wouldn't work Sundays and in the end, had more money coming in than she was when she worked seven days. God blesses obedience!
- "Josh, my husband and I don't get along. Should I divorce them?" There are Biblical grounds for divorce. "We are not compatible" is not one of them. I've had this question come up a lot, and I always tell people that if there is abuse, do what is necessary to protect yourself, but otherwise obey and pray. Obey God and pray for your spouse.
- "Josh, should I invest in this company that builds/supports/promotes things contrary to the Bible?" No. If I do that, then I am morally liable for the evil that company does.
I could go on, but you get the idea. There is much that is clear in the Bible. God has given us a lot of instruction on a wide variety of issues. We should go there first and then do what it says. I'm not saying it's easy...it's just right. And God will bless your obedience.
2. Seeking the wisdom of other people. Pastor Philip said in his sermon, "When listening to the Lord, don't listen to others." To that I would say, "Yes, and..." We are repeatedly told to seek Godly wisdom in the Bible. I've mentioned "Experiencing God" several times in these blogs, which teaches that we discern God's will through reading the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church (listening to godly coounsel). In the context of Judges 18, the Danites had clear direction from Yahweh. They just wanted to get someone to sign off on THEIR plan. If you ask enough people, you can always fiind someone who will tell you what you want to hear.
It reminds me of Rehoboam in 1 Kings 12. He had just become king. The older, wiser men told him the people had suffered under Solomon with all the building projects. If he would be a servant to the people and give them a break, they would follow him. Rehoboam went to his friends, the people his age, and they told him to be even harder than his father. He listened to his friends and the people revolted and it split the kingdom.
Seeking God's will involves seeking godly wisdom from others, but be careful who you seek out. I've felt led to plant a church for a while now. I'm just seeking God's timing. In 2022, Marilyn and I went to an assessment with a church planting organization. We sought God's wisdom and felt like whatever these wise people said was God's will. After a week, they told us that they felt like we were definitely gifted for church planting, but it was not the right time. We had more healing to do. I didn't like this answer AT ALL. I could have shopped around and found any number of people who would have said, "Do it now!" Instead, I listened to these wise people and after some prayer and reflection, I realized they were right. I needed healing, and if I had planted a church in 2023, I would be leaving it right now.
For me, I seek wisdom from people who I know are connected to the heart of God, and generally people who have been following Jesus a while. Listening to the Lord involves listening to the right people!
SONGS FOR SUNDAY
You are Good
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul6i6Kz2p2k
Son of Heaven
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ST78WZjaWv4
Tremble
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzZZb6RbLJs
Names
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvdyBfU8qys