May 17, 2012

Proverbs 16:25  There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.


Blackaby discusses one of the aspects of the believers life I continue to question and ponder.  That is how can we be sure we are following the Holy Spirit's leading in the decisions we make.  I know the procedure--Bible study, prayer, Christian counsel, etc.  But when it comes down to crunch time, short of a finger writing on the wall (Daniel 5:5) or a dry fleece (Judges 6:39), how can we REALLY know God's will when we pull the proverbial trigger?

A few months ago on the radio, I heard a preacher say, "Satan wants us to settle for good, while God wants us to have the best."  He went on to talk about how Satan may actually open the doors for "good" things to come into our lives. (2 Corinthians 11:14)  If we quit searching for God's ultimate "best" then we will live a life short of all the joy, peace and love God desires for His children.

I think the best advice from Blackaby's journal entry today is "take time (emphasis mine) to seek the Holy Spirit's direction. . ."  I am guilty of praying superficially over an issue 2-3 mornings, then doing what I want to do and justifying it by saying, "I prayed about it."  Pffttt!  Using puny prayer to justify decisions is perhaps worse than not praying at all.

While I may never receive writing on the wall or other miraculous signs about a decision, I can certainly be much more fervent and intentional in my prayers about decisions.

One other thought I just had as I was closing the Blackaby book-  If I know a decision is looming in my future (or might be a decision I have to make), I should start praying about that decision as soon as I know about the possibility.  I need to give God as large a window as possible to clearly make His will known to me.