12/19/2019
On occasion, I have attempt to take God’s decisions from my lap, and determine the outcome of my life by my own determination, have you ever been inclined to do this? Leaning on God for provision in all things is a very difficult accomplishment when every worldly lesson taught us throughout our lives has been directed at making us self-sufficient, but learning to pray in every circumstance, and to always trust in Him to provide, should be the first lesson we master. Have you mastered this? Do you even understand it’s importance?
“The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.”
Proverbs 16:33 ESV
God not only knows our circumstances, but He knows their outcomes, not simply because He can look into the future, but by His control over every aspect of them. In the case of our casting lots, God not only knows how the dice will fall, but decides exactly how they should land and makes that occur. We on the other hand can only change their outcome by having previously altered the dice themselves (by lying and cheating), or by leaning on what we perceive of as chance for favor, or a good outcome. By attempting to take the outcome of the lots into our own hands we have removed faith from our lives, and now serve our own wills as our master... but try as we might, God still controls the fall of the dice and the happenings of our lives... even allowing us to cast our faith aside by our self determination.
“But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith.”
1 Timothy 5:11-12 ESV
I read Charles Surgeon’s discussion on this subject today, and he also spoke of our taking the decisions regarding our lives into our own hands, and then he went on to speak of how this causes us to become anxious, and how this hinders our faith...
“When people are anxious, they cannot pray with faith; when they are troubled about the world, they cannot serve their Master, since their thoughts are serving themselves. If you would “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33 NKJV), all things would be added to you.” - Charles Spurgeon
One day I was camping on a mountainside, and somewhere on the far side was a storm. I knew this because the sky was darkening in that direction, I could hear the rumble of thunder in the distance, and the wind was growing cool as it blew down the mountain. I had plans for that evening, and I knew that a rain would preclude them so I looked at those I was camping with and said “I sure hope that rain passes us by!” Then I worried about the direction the storm would take, and what I would do if it came over the ridge and not only dropped its rain and lightning upon us, but blew our tents down, and caused tree branches to break and fall on us. I had no control over any of this, and was depending solely on chance. I was very anxious, and afraid of what was coming. What I should have done was to immediately pray, and to have asked God to divert the storm.
“do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
Philippians 4:6 ESV
Is prayer our first line of defense against the problems in life? As seasoned Christians we like to think it is, but have you ever listened to yourself when adversity strikes? Quite often our first reaction is to look for what we can do to solve the situation... then when a solution isn’t immediately obvious To us, we go to our “ace in the hole”... praying... and we quite often ask a God to strengthen us. We don’t ask Him what we should do, and yet we ask Him to give us strength to do our own will. Can you see the problem in this? What makes us think that the direction we are going is the one He wants us to take, or is within His will? Then comes the fear, the anxiety, and the distrust because our misguided prayer wasn’t answered as we thought it should have been.
“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.”
1 John 5:14 ESV
So we either don’t understand, or trust in God’s control over every circumstance of our lives, or we trust first and foremost in our own selves. Neither of these are good decisions to make, and both bring us anxiety, fear, and lead to a loss of faith. We should lean first and foremost on God for provision, and salvation, and we should pray for His guidance before we set our own course. It is never too late to begin learning this lesson in our lives... to lean on Him in all circumstances, and trust in Him for our provision, defense, and salvation.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for answering our prayers when we call out to you for your guidance in determining your will, help as we lean on you, and strength us to do those things you would have us do. Thank you father for the storms in our lives that you divert from us, and thank you equally Holy Father for those that you bring upon us and reveal yourself in the midst of. Teach us Lord to seek you first in all things because there is no circumstance or detail in life that you don’t control, and no trouble that doesn’t serve your purpose. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you who has numbered every grain of sand, and knows each hair on my head. Great are you who has every situation under His subjugation, and controls the most minute of circumstances. Awesome is your power, and amazing your mercy and grace as witnessed through Christ Jesus. Wonderful are you who hears our prayers, and removes the fear and anxiety from us. We praise your name, and worship you now and forevermore! We sing to you who fills us with your peace, rest, and joy, in every part of our life, and in all the good you work in it.
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28 ESV
Rich Forbes