Need Guidance?

Numbers 22:26 - Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left.

    Numbers 22: 21-32 explains how Balaam was headed in the wrong direction and how God went to the extremes to direct Balaam’s path. As I read this scripture, I was encouraged. I was encouraged to know that God will lead and guide me if I allow Him. Even if we choose the wrong way, God is still God. If you look at Numbers 22:22, it says God was very angry when Balaam went in the direction he went. Despite His anger, God still opted to direct Balaam’s steps. Even when we head in the wrong direction assuming that we know what is best for ourselves; God is still there to keep us in line with His will.

          As I grow in the Lord, I realize that obedience is everything. I also realize that inquiring of the Lord is essential. We say we trust God, but do we consult God? We have to learn to get into the habit of praying about everything. The Bible says to pray about everything (Philippians 4:6). We can’t assume that God isn’t concerned about matters in our lives whether big or small. In 1Peter, 4:7 the Word tells me to cast our cares on Him because He cares for us. It didn’t say what kind of cares, it just say to cast them on Him. As I said, we must learn to inquire of the Lord. If we fail to do so, we can be lead astray by our own flesh or the enemy’s devices. Joshua 9 talks about how the men of Israel were deceived by the Gibeonites. Joshua 9:14 says, “The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord.” Had they inquired of the Lord they would have known that the Gibeonites were trying to deceive them. How many times do we do what appears to be right or what feels good without praying to God about it first?

          In 1^st and 2^nd Kings, it chronicles the lives of the kings of Israel. The emphasis in every king’s life was his obedience and willingness to inquire of the Lord. Many times the kings of Israel had success, but it was only when God led them. When some kings turned away from God or stopped consulting with God, they were defeated because God was displeased. I found this intriguing because I can apply the same principles to my life. We have to learn to trust God’s counsel and not be lead astray by our own fleshly desires. Psalm 121:6-7 says, “The Lord will keep you from all harm—He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." So, why not ask Him for His direction?

          Our prayers need to sound like that of Jeremiah in Jeremiah 10:23. Jeremiah prayed, “Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.” The Amplified version says this, “O Lord [pleads Jeremiah in the name of the people], I know that [the determination of] the way of a man is not in himself; it is not in man [even in a strong man or in a man at his best] to direct his [own] steps. ²⁴ O Lord, correct, instruct, and chastise me, but with judgment and in just measure—not in Your anger, lest You diminish me and bring me to nothing.”

          We seem to forget that our lives are not our own. Those of us in Christ need to remember that we were bought with a price. We don’t belong to ourselves anymore. We are to seek, inquire, and require the Lord in every aspect of our lives. This is called total surrender. If you think of a slave and his master, once the master purchases the slave the slave no longer has his own rights. He is subject to his master, in everything. We need to be subject to Christ, in everything. God wants the best for us so why not humble yourself and seek His face for guidance. Sometimes we don’t pray about things because we don’t want to hear what the Spirit of the Lord might say. Sometimes we know that the way we are going is wrong but we refuse to humble ourselves to accept whatever God’s answer is. Let me just say, you’re playing with fire if you do this. The answers God gives are always good because His plans for us are good. So if God says left and you want so badly for it to be right, just be obedient and go left. Trust God.

     Proverbs 3:5-6 advises us to, “Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.” If we would just acknowledge God in our decision-making, we would be less likely to make foolish mistakes or head down a path that is detrimental to our lives or  Christian walk.

          Therefore, if you need guidance or direction for anything, I encourage you to pray. Seek God about the matter, and please wait for the answer! Remember: The steps of a [good] man are directed and established by the Lord when He delights in his way [and He busies Himself with his every step] (Psalms 37:23, AMP).

God Bless

God is Impartial

Matthew 5:45 …He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

            God is fair and impartial (Romans 2:11). He doesn’t show favoritism. What He’ll do for one, He’ll do for another. As I looked at the compassion of God, it lead me to the impartiality of God. In our finite human minds we can’t begin to understand why He is so just. When people commit crimes and do things to us we don’t like, it’s off with their heads. However, God is different. He gives us chance after chance to repent. Even those that don’t repent, God is still gracious to them. He proves that in the above scripture (Matthew 5:45). The only reasons none of us were consumed by God’s anger before we were saved is His mercy and compassion. So why can’t we show that same mercy and compassion towards one another?

            I’m reminded of the Prophet Jonah who ran away from God’s call to preach to the people of Nineveh. This man did not want the people of Nineveh to receive God’s grace and mercy so much that he ran from the call of God. How disturbing is that? When a member of the congregation repents, pastors are happy. But not Jonah. He may have felt that these people disobeyed and disrespected God so much that they didn't deserve a second chance. That’s not how God felt. God wanted Jonah to preach to the people that they may repent, which they did. After Jonah finally gave in, preached to the people, they repented. Still Jonah was not satisfied. The Bible says in Jonah 4:1 that, Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. In verse 2 he prays to God, “I pray You, O Lord, is not this just what I said when I was still in my country? That is why I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness, and [when sinners turn to You and meet Your conditions] You revoke the [sentence of] evil against them.” What kind of prayer is that? That’s like me praying, “God don’t tell me to witness to him lest he repents and you have mercy and bless him.” Huh? Well at least Jonah was honest, not right but honest.

            The Bible says in Psalm 145:9, the Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. All includes everyone on Earth. Everyone has a chance to repent, everyone has a chance to know God, and everyone has a chance to experience God’s grace & mercy. I’m trying to be more like God. I don’t know about anyone else but I find it hard to let people off the hook. Honestly, I’m learning to be kind and generous to people I don’t really care for. We have to love as God loves. We have to show mercy and compassion on others as we want God to show mercy and compassion on us. For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you (Matthew 6:14). Like God, we must learn to be impartial. To show love even when it is undeserved. Jesus said to LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF (Mark 12:31). Like God, we have to be fair and give people a chance. Even if they use up all their chance cards, throw them another handful. We can learn a lot from the character of God, including how to treat one another.

Matthew 5:46-48~For if you love those who love you, what reward can you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that? And if you greet only your brethren, what more than others are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles (the heathen) do that? You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect.

 

 

 



God is Fair

Ecclesiastes 9:11 AMP~ I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong, neither is bread to the wise nor riches to men of intelligence and understanding nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.   
          

            God is compassionate and full of mercy. He is fair and just to all (sinners & saints). He is fair to those who follow Christ and to those who do not. He blesses the just & the unjust. God’s definition of fair is much different than our understanding of the word. The bottom line is good and bad times happen to everyone. Now my first thought when beginning to understand this was, “Well God, what’s the point of obedience? Why should I go through all this trouble to serve You when You bless the unjust as well?” The answer I received was, “We are to serve God whole-heartedly. Not for profit or gain, but because He is God. Because He loves us. Because it is the right thing to do. Because we are not our own, we were bought with a price.” A very expensive price at that.

            The Bible says in Romans 2:11, that there is no partiality with God. This means that God doesn’t just give good times to those who serve Him & bad times to those who don’t. Time and chance happens to us all. A good example of this is the story of the man at the pool of Bethesda. In John chapter 5, Jesus heals a man at this particular pool. The Bible doesn’t indicate if the man was saved or believed in Christ. In fact, it proves He didn’t know who Jesus was. In verse 6, Jesus asks the man if he wants to be made well. In verse 7 the man responds, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” The man’s response indicates: 1. He did not know who Jesus was because he called him “Sir”. 2. He never answered by saying yes, he just gave an excuse as to why he wasn’t healed. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are. When God decides it is your time, then it’s your time. It was this man’s time for healing after 38 years of illness. It didn’t matter to Jesus that the man did not know Him & or that he did a bunch of works in the church. It didn’t matter to Jesus that the man didn’t ask for healing. Jesus, being the compassionate and impartial God that He is healed this man.

            Sometimes I wonder why God blesses one and not the other at a particular time. I found my answer in Romans 9:14 that says, “For He says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” In other words, God can do what He wants to do. Just because you pray, fast, serve in the church and the person next to you is willfully living in sin, doesn’t guarantee that God will answer your prayers first. He may answer the other person’s prayer to show Himself gracious which can lead to that person’s repentance. Seems unfair but God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are our ways His ways (Isaiah 55:8).

            Grace is not dependent on man’s work but on God’s mercy. Romans 9:16-18 says, “So then [God’s gift] is not a question of human will and human effort, but of God’s mercy. [It depends not on one’s own willingness nor on his strenuous exertion as in running a race, but on God’s having mercy on him.] For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, I have raised you up for this very purpose of displaying My power in [dealing with] you, so that My name may be proclaimed the whole world over. So then He has mercy on whomever He wills (chooses) and He hardens (makes stubborn and unyielding the heart of) whomever He wills.” Love that Amplified Bible…

            In no way am I excusing willful sin and disobedience. It’s wrong. We shouldn’t take Gods’ grace and mercy for granted. We shouldn’t abuse His goodness because certainly God will repay us all for what we have done, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:10).

            We don’t know what God is doing. However, His word says He is faithful and can be trusted. I thank God for His grace & mercy. I would not have come this far if He did not show compassion upon me. If God only blessed the “goody goodies”, most of us would not stand a chance.