Psalm 65; Exodus 7:14–24; Acts 27:13–38
Do the right thing! Then, do the next right thing! If there is a question of what the right thing is? You’ll just know. Right? Sounds completely rational. You’ll just know.
Except it doesn’t always (or even often for many) work that way. Many times awe-inspiring stories are told of how God answered prayers or provided guidance. If it hasn’t worked for you, yes, perhaps your prayer life needs some work. On the other hand, perhaps God is expecting you to work it through yourself.
Moses and Paul are great examples to look at. They are also not.
Both Moses and Paul are powerfully connected to God. Although the Scriptures tell us all the high and powerful points. They also don’t tell us the times between.
Were Moses and Paul always deeply and intimately connected to God? No. While we can be sure that Moses learned about the God of the Israelites from his biological mother, his life in the court of the Pharaoh would have definitely tempered some of that (though likely there was some warmth for the faith of his mother).
Paul was a strict observer of the Jewish Law. So strictly did he follow the Law, that he vigorously attacked the fledgling faith community of the Way (that became later identified as Christian). We could easily say he was an observant Jew. However, his pre-conversion life would not have had the same connection to God based upon his conversion.
This is not to say that your relationship with God is not significant or deep. It is to say that each of us lives different lives, and how that affects our relationship with God may be significant.
What we can do is to temper ourselves by reading the Scriptures, prayer, and a group of fellow believers that we can be fully open with all our flaws and failures. As we become more shaped by the Scriptures, prayer, and the faithful lives of others, we can begin to expect to understand the guidance that God has been providing to this point, but we were unable to grasp it.
Lastly, though, is the hardest part…and it’s all ours. It is our free will. We can choose to pursue God and God’s will. We still may choose our own.
※Reflection※
- What is the one thing you are looking for an answer from God about?
- What about it is something that you cannot determine yourself?
- What have you done in finding wise Christian counsel to work through this?
※Prayer※
Lord, we pray and wait for answers. Yet, while we wait, you still call us to walk forward day by day trusting in you. Guide us into your will, and mold our hearts to respond to it.