We’re interested in your manuscript. Please call us next week.” With a mounting stack of rejections, the e-mail was the first positive lead I had received. I was grateful to see an open door, even if it was only cracked. However, as the time to call drew near, I felt impressed to wait. What would be the harm in just finding out? I reasoned. But I couldn’t deny the strong sense of “no” in my spirit. Within 2 weeks, I had an offer from a publisher with a strong reputation for honoring God’s Word.
Too many times in life, we base our decisions on circumstances alone. As we seek God’s will, however, we have a choice of living by fleeces or through intimacy with the good Shepherd (John 10:14). Both Gideon and David performed great exploits for the Lord, and Hebrews 11:32 describes them as men of faith. Their latter days, however, differed vastly.
David’s life demonstrates that opportunity does not equate with God’s will. As he fled from Saul, I believe God set up the circumstances to test David’s heart (1 Samuel 26:12). For David, the decision wasn’t about opportunity but about who he would become in the process. He sought the voice of the Lord and looked to the Word (Psalm 119:105). Though he was a man with real struggles, this King of Israel died with his faith grounded firmly in the Lord. Sadly, though, Gideon’s faith never seemed to grow past the place of fleeces. Judges 8 recounts how Gideon—and subsequently, Israel (8:27)—ended up in apostasy over a golden ephod.
Determining God’s call to action based solely on our circumstances can lead us into deception. He can use life events to move us, but true intimacy with Him is based in trust—not circumstances. God draws close to those who learn to rely on Him.
More:
After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and
they follow him because they know his voice (John 10:4).
Next:
When have your circumstances led you to make a poor decision? How does a deep trust in God help you to evaluate life events and where He’s leading you?
Hannah C on March 8, 2011 at 2:04 pm
When have your circumstances led you to make a poor decision?
Two years ago, I was looking for a job, so I submitted my resume to several companies. I didn’t know how this one company got my information but after a few days, they called me and informed me that they wanted to schedule an interview with me soon. I was overjoyed because I needed a job badly. I thought, God probably gave this job to me.
On the day of the interview, everything went normal and I was going to start the next week already. However, on my first day, I realized that everything was fake — it was actually a company that scammed people of their money. I didn’t want to do that so I never returned.
How does a deep trust in God help you to evaluate life events and where He’s leading you?
In that situation, what I failed to do was to pray for it. I immediately assumed that just because there was an open door to something that I really wanted, God must have been the one who opened the door for me. Wrong. Just like David’s situation in 1 Samuel 26, he had all the chance to kill Saul (who was chasing David down to kill him), but he didn’t. God sometimes brings us in situations where our reliance on Him can be tested. God wants to teach us that in every decision that we have to make, we should pray for it first. When we trust Him with all our hearts, the Holy Spirit will guide us into where God really wants us to be.
When we pray, we must not tell Him what we want, but rather, we should ask for wisdom to be able to discern what He wants us to do. We should pray with the attitude of laying our own preferences aside and trusting God’s answer, instead of just going with whatever is in front of us. Our decisions should not be based on current circumstances, but on God’s plan in our lives. How do we know His plan? Read the Bible, pray everyday!
tom felten on March 8, 2011 at 2:29 pm
Hannah C, I’m so sorry you had to go through the challenge of working for scammers. But your example of choosing to leave the company—thought you needed the work and pay—is powerful. I love your emphasis on knowing what’s God will is in life—following His commands and wisdom found in His Word. Great thoughts!
regina franklin on March 12, 2011 at 10:19 pm
Dear Hannah,
What a disappointing trial! May the Lord reward your faithfulness in bringing forth a valuable pearl of wisdom from a frustrating situation. The Lord is daily teaching me to wait–and do so peacefully:)–until He goes before me in situations. Needless to say, I require a lot of practice!