If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if
you go to the right, then I will go to the left. —Genesis 13:9
{CHAMBERS} “As
soon as you begin to live the life of faith in God, fascinating and physically
gratifying possibilities will open up before you. These things are yours by
right, but if you are living the life of faith you will exercise your right to
waive your rights, and let God make your choice for you. God sometimes allows
you to get into a place of testing where your own welfare would be the
appropriate thing to consider, if you were not living the life of faith. […]
This is the discipline God uses to transform the natural into the spiritual
through obedience to His voice. Whenever our right becomes the guiding factor
of our lives, it dulls our spiritual insight. The greatest enemy of the life of
faith in God is not sin, but good choices which are not quite good enough. The
good is always the enemy of the best. […] Many of us do not continue to grow
spiritually because we prefer to choose on the basis of our rights, instead of
relying on God to make the choice for us. We have to learn to walk according to
the standard which has its eyes focused on God. And God says to us, as He did
to Abram, “…walk before Me…” (Genesis 17:1).”
{ELGIN} Hearing God’s voice. That is a result of listening with spiritual
understanding and spiritual preparation.
It is often difficult to discern when it is God and when it is merely me
wanting to do something godly. I have met
a number of people who told me they wanted to serve God. When God presented an opportunity that was
clearly supernatural, they said “no, I really want to do this other thing.” And
they turned away from the opportunity. Their
response was telling. Their desire to do
good was greater than their desire to follow God. God will not condemn you for that, but oh
what you miss when you choose poorly. I
was talking to another missionary about this person just yesterday. It is with sadness that I speak of it. Dr.
Henry Blackaby said that hearing God is normally not the problem. Obeying God is the problem. Proverbs
16:9 say “Men make plans in their hearts, but God orders their steps.” The problem is when we refuse to throw our
plans away and follow God. All the will
convinced that we have chosen well. And
how do I know what the best thing was for that person? Because God revealed it to me by his Spirit
and circumstances that were indisputably impossible to orchestrate by man but
trivial for our God. Oh friend, don’t
miss the joy of walking after God by faith.
Great things He hath promised.
Great things He hath done. And great things He wants to do through you if
you will only stop, look, listen, and obey.
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