“Decisions, Decisions (His, Ours)”

  "Decisions, Decisions (His, Ours)"

   I awoke this morning in prayerful contemplation about a particular course of action.  The thought came to me, "I'm so glad I don't have to make that decision!"

   "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him… (James 1:5).

   Of course, I do have to make the decision.  I must use my mind to consider the options, analyze possibilities concerning the paths that lie before me, and and ultimately make my way in a chosen direction.  The Lord will not write His will in the sky, He won't speak to me audibly, and I long ago learned to be suspicious of inner voices that may seem for all the world to be God, but which we often discover in the end to be devilish heralds of deception.  My confidence in the matter involves the truth that I don't make the decision alone.  The Lord promises to direct our thought processes as we look to Him, and He may also work circumstantially to make His chosen path clear to us.  "Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established… Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of His steps" (Proverbs 16:3; Psalm 85:13).  

    Our confidence also involves the faith that believes God will in fact direct us as we look to Him.  "Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways" (James 1:6-8).  Wisdom sought must be wisdom expected.  We must sincerely seek our Heavenly Father's guidance in the anticipation of His sincerely fulfilled promise to lead us.  By His Word, His Spirit, His church, and His personal working in our lives, the Lord directs us to think well and choose well as we trust Him to guide us.  Thus, we begin our decision making processes by first looking to Him, and then expecting His enabling of our thoughts and paving of our paths.  We don't have to make decisions.  But we do.  We just don't perceive ourselves as having to determine our course alone.  His thoughts establish our thoughts as we consistently look to Him in confidence and expectation of guidance through a dark world…

"The meek will He guide in judgement, and the meek will He teach His way."

(Psalm 25:9)

"O send out Thy light and Thy truth.  Let them lead me."

(Psalm 43:3)

Weekly Memory Verse

    Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

(Psalm 31:24)