“I know when the instructions have come from God because of their quiet persistence. But when I begin to weigh the pros and cons, and doubt and debate enter into my mind, I am bringing in an element that is not of God. This will only result in my concluding that His instructions to me were not right. Many of us are faithful to our ideas about Jesus Christ, but how many of us are faithful to Jesus Himself? Faithfulness to Jesus means that I must step out even when and where I can’t see anything (see Matthew 14:29). But faithfulness to my own ideas means that I first clear the way mentally. Faith, however, is not intellectual understanding; faith is a deliberate commitment to the Person of Jesus Christ, even when I can’t see the way ahead.” CHAMBERS
“Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:6-11)
Why would we think that we can figure things out? That God gives us an idea to ponder, like we are trying to decide do I go to town or stay home today … Henry Blackaby (author of Experiencing God) says that when God speaks we know it’s God. When God speaks, we know what He says. But when God speaks what we struggle with is saying “Yes Lord.” In the military, our life was governed by something called the Uniform Code of Military Justice. It is separate from the civilian legal system - it is simple, swift and sure. Article 92 is ‘Failure to Obey a Lawful Order’. If I gave an order to someone, they did not have an option to obey it .. their only option was to say ‘Yes Sir’ and do what I said. They recognized my authority to give it and submitted to that authority. Some obeyed because they feared the negative consequence if they refused. (Each article in the UCMJ has a maximum punishment associated with someone's violation of it.) But most obeyed because they embraced who they were and the authority I represented. And for those who didn't there was a consequence. (I am NOT suggesting you will lose your salvation by saying no to God!)
Chambers is saying that we don't have an option when God speaks. If He is indeed Lord, our only answer can be ‘Yes Sir’. But that isn’t waht we do is it? We don’t always answer in the affirmative … we say .. I need to pray about that .. I will get back to you … or maybe, let me do this one thing first … Then He [Jesus] said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:59-60)
Jesus didn’t seem to have much sympathy for the guy. But don’t you think that Jesus already knew that his father had died when He said ‘Follow Me'? I am not suggesting that following God will not cost you … it will cost you … it is not a sacrifice if it doesn’t cost you … (Romans 12:1,2) Has God already spoken to you? What is your answer going to be? Maybe you are struggling with it? Well, I hope that your answer is ‘YES’!
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