As my family ventures through the life changes that are coming our way in the next 4 months, I find myself praying for wisdom and direction. There are so many scenarios and options, none of which are bad, but each one would have a different impact. It’s what Lysa TerKeurst calls finding your best yes and I am reminded of Abraham’s servant who was given the task of finding a wife for Isaac {Genesis 24}.
As Abraham’s servant sought the Lord’s leading in his journey and task, he asked for specific things so that he might be able to decipher the Lord’s leading, he worshiped the Lord, outwardly praised the Lord’s name because of His leading and promptly followed the Lord’s leading. I think there are some nuggets here in his process that are important and that are super relevant to those times when the answer is not clear and beyond our realm of understanding.
I am also reminded of young David and his speech to King Saul as to why he could fight Goliath. He did put his entire faith in the Lord, but he also could show how he had already been equipped with training to fight in dangerous situations. His life had evidence of God’s equipping him for the task at hand. We read David’s words in 1 Samuel 17:33-38:
33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”
So as we move forward into a time that requires faith, wisdom, discernment, and trust, I feel well-guided to keep these points in mind and I think they would be helpful to anyone navigating through a difficult task or tough decision.
1. Above all else, seek God’s leading in the journey and task you are facing.
His leading and guidance is a gift we can be given, but it is something that needs to be asked for. Paul says that if anyone lacks wisdom we are simply to ask in faith {James 1:5-6} because our Father loves to give good gifts to his children {Matthew 7:11}. We are to seek it out both through prayer and through scripture. His word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path {Psalm 119:105}.
2. Be specific in what you need to know so that you won’t be left wondering if it truly is from God.
Abraham’s servant asked that the girl God had chosen would offer him water and water for his camels, too {Genesis 24:12-14}. Gideon asked that God would let the fleece be dry and the ground wet then reversed the next night {Judges 6:36-40}. Jonathan believed that certain words would be said by the enemy if God would deliver them into his hand {1 Samuel 14:8-10}. All throughout scripture, there are specifics being asked of God to help discern his will and plan. In all cases, the seeker was left without a doubt of what they were to do to follow God’s plan for the situation at hand.
3. Consider things in the past that may have shaped and prepared you for a possible task at hand.
We all have been created for a specific purpose and the unfolding of our lives as a whole have been God’s training to equip us for the things He created us for. All the good things, the bad experiences, the struggles and the lessons learned have shaped us. It is good to reflect back as we ponder the decision we need to make or the task at hand to see if it is lining up with how we have been shaped. Of course, sometimes God asks us to do something TOTALLY different and out of our comfort zone requiring complete trust in His provision.
4. Worship the Lord and outwardly praise His name when the Lord’s leading comes.
Our number one purpose in this life as Christians and the reason we were created is to glorify God. All that we do, say and how we behave should point others to Christ and keep Christ on display. It’s never about us and so even though we do the work to seek God and draw near to Him, His response to us is what needs to be front and center in our minds and hearts. The truth is that we would not be seeking for Him and drawing close to Him if he didn’t first breath His life into us in the first place and place that desire in our hearts, so every act of provision for us is a gift. That is why we worship him and outwardly praise Him.
5. Promptly act upon and follow in the way the Lord leads in complete confidence and faith.
Neither Abraham’s servant or David thought twice about the task once they got the leading they were seeking. They wasted no time at all in completing the task for them. In following their example, we too should act swiftly once we have God’s leading and not continue to worry or wonder. A response of delay to the Lord’s leading can be detrimental or even devastating to both the situation and to our walk with the Lord.
I don’t know about you, but I am so comforted in knowing that God is so much bigger than the decisions we face and tasks we are called to do. His sovereignty over our lives and world provides us with a pre-determined path to take that we have been created and prepared for. We are loved so much that we have not been left to stumble through life by ourselves but rather can be guided safely through the rock terrain over which we travel. The choice is ours. I, for one, will choose to be guided safely by seeking the Lord’s leading!
