Tuesday, February 7, 2017

What To Do When God Doesn't Do What You Thought He Would Do



We were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. —Luke 24:21

{CHAMBERS} “Every fact that the disciples stated was right, but the conclusions they drew from those facts were wrong. Anything that has even a hint of dejection spiritually is always wrong. If I am depressed or burdened, I am to blame, not God or anyone else. Dejection stems from one of two sources— I have either satisfied a lust or I have not had it satisfied. In either case, dejection is the result. Lust means “I must have it at once.” Spiritual lust causes me to demand an answer from God, instead of seeking God Himself who gives the answer. What have I been hoping or trusting God would do? Is today “the third day” and He has still not done what I expected? […] Yet we never realize that all the time God is at work in our everyday events and in the people around us. If we will only obey, and do the task that He has placed closest to us, we will see Him.”

{ELGIN} We had lunch the other day with the daughter of a friend, let’s call her Kathy.  She wanted to talk to us about Haiti and her desire to spend a month or so in Haiti serving where she could.  She was certain that the Lord was prompting her to go.  As it happened, she and I parked our cars close to each other and were walking back to the restaurant where Martie was waiting.  As we passed another restaurant a friend and his wife walked out of the door.  Our friend had been to Haiti several times.  I introduced them to each other and explained to my friend that the woman was wanting to go to Haiti in June.  He responded by saying “I am taking a team to Anse du Clerc, Haiti in June and we need one more woman to complete the team.”  Kathy looked at me in amazement.  How could this happen?  I told her that this happens all the time. It is the Spirit of God.  The thing is that the team would only be in Haiti for one week.  That didn’t exactly fit with her plans.  My counsel to her was that she should respond to God’s agenda and not her own.

When we say “yes” to God, we must put our trust in Him. (Proverbs 16:9) “Men make plans in their hearts but God orders their steps.  I told Kathy that when you say “yes” to God, then He will show you things that are beyond probability. That God may and most probably does have other plans for you.  Like the disciples, you may be expecting one thing and God does something else.  I have known many people who were determined that they knew exactly what God wanted them to do, before they stepped out in faith.  God reveals His will for us progressively often times.  At least that is our experience.  But it all starts with a “yes” and then stepping out in faith.

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