Danger! Warning! Sharp turns ahead! Slippery when wet. Driving down the highways, navigating the waterways, we know we better pay attention to signs that help mark the path. Good signage indicates a surveyor has gone that way before and experienced the hazards which may lie in wait. It behooves us to watch out and take precautions so we can live longer and even better. But when it comes to just living our lives we don’t much like to read and follow the directions. There’s a stubborn determination to go it alone despite the heartfelt plea of a loved one saying, ‘listen to me – because I’ve been down this road before I know what to expect, and here’s how you can avoid getting hurt.’ “No thanks (comes the reply) – I’ll do it myself.”
As a Christian, I believe not only that following Jesus is the best way; it’s the only way. (John 14:6) He tells us in His Word that we don’t have to go it alone. “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” (Psalm 55:22) Of course I had spent most of my life pulling myself up by my bootstraps, refusing to take help or advice. Simply approaching life as a grand experiment, trying things on to see how they feel, is foolishness to be sure. The Lord has given each of us the ability to reason and power needed to make wise decisions according to His Word. People around us may set good examples of making Godly choices, but if there is a reluctance to learn from those who’ve ‘surveyed the land,’ listen closely to what the Lord has to say on the subject of receiving His wisdom:
· “Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,,, (Ephesians 1:15-17).”
To receive wisdom from the Lord, determine first to seek Him with all your heart, all of your mind and all your strength. Desire Him more than life itself and in so doing He will give you the desires of your heart. His desires will become your desires. How do you know you’re doing the right thing? It’s not a fleeting feeling you’ve agreed upon to justify some unjust habit. No – doing things in accordance with God’s will goes against the grain of fleshly lusts. Another way to be sure of pleasing the Lord is to decide to read His Word and find out what He is like and what He wants for His people.
When I had surgery in May it was in effect an act of placing my life in the hands of another and trusting I would wake up when all was said and done. It is the same point of surrender for Christians. We place our lives in the hands of the One who knows best and moreover has already walked our road. “For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” (Hebrews 2:18) “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13) You won’t know how faithful He is to help you until cry out to Him, humbly asking Him to show you what you so desperately need. Here we have the King of the Universe standing by waiting for us to call out and ask Him what He wants us to do. It’s unfathomable and yet so genuine. He won’t force Himself upon you but He is nearby if you really want to know Him. Danger-Warning! Don’t turn a deaf ear to Him or to those He sends your way to help show you how to be safe in His arms!!
- He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. (Psalm 91:4)
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