There are times when I think that God should bring back the Urim and the Thummin! The what? The Pentateuch makes references to two sacred objects that were carried on the chest of the high priest of Israel which he used to determine the will of God for the people. If you doubt me, you can look it up! (Exodus 28:30) Nobody knows exactly how they were used, but they did exist. OK, I am kidding about bringing them back. I'm not expressing literal longing. It is our privilege to live in the age of the Spirit and to know the Lord's leading by the treasured wisdom found in His Word. But, there are occasional moments when I think I'd like to have a concrete way to discern God's will, so I could say, "This is what the Lord wants us to do. So let's not debate it any longer!" Sometimes, I just do not know how the Word speaks to the situation and there are moments when the voice of the Spirit is inaudible - due to my small faith or spiritual deafness, not God's failure.
A case in point is the funding of church ministries. Those of us who are charged with being fiscally responsible look at various programs and and we must make decisions that have an impact on God's work. "What is mission critical, what should we prioritize? If necessary, where should we reduce expenses? What is God's will?" These are not questions of right or wrong, but of better and best. Almost always someone has a differing sense of what is important than someone else. Of course, we pray. Over my years of experience, I have seen the Lord provide many times in ways unforeseen, so there are reasons to trust Him. But, He often makes us wait and wonder. It would be amazing (truly wonderful) to have so much funding available that the church could all do all of the things that seem good and right to do; but apparently, God thinks we are better stewards when He provides just what He knows we need, and right at the moment we need it.
Here is the wisdom of the Word for those situations when we are facing multiple options and lack clear direction. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV) There are three pre-conditions to being led by the Spirit taught to us in that passage.
First, trust God completely. Make Him the center of your life. That can be easier said than done! When challenges arise, the road ahead is obscured by darkness, or situations come that shake us to the core of our being, we are tempted to take back control of our lives. Abraham, the 'father of the faithful,' did it. God promised him an heir, but his wife was well past child-bearing years and Abraham still did not have a son. He wavered in his trust and started to make choices that were expedient, but not God-honoring.
That is why the second principle is clearly stated. "Don't try to figure everything out on your own!" Abraham concluded that since Sarah was old, he needed to follow the ancient custom of fathering an heir with her servant, Hagar. His intellect provided him an answer to his dilemma but it wasn't the plan of God. What chaos resulted from his choice to figure out his own way to fulfill God's promise! The Lord has given us amazing creative abilities. He has created us with wonderful faculties of reason. But the wisest of the wise, is limited because he can only make decisions with the information available to him. God cautions us about becoming 'wise in our own eyes,' thinking that we have all the information required. That is why we cannot exclusively trust in our intellect if we hope to live in a way that pleases Him. In a time of great challenge, the Lord spoke to the prophet Isaiah reminding him - "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the Lord. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9, NLT) We must humbly confess our dependence on His revelation.
Third, God's direction emerges when we consistently make the choice to keep Him first in every situation. "Seek His will in all you do." If we hold onto our way, our will, in select areas of our lives while professing to seek God's will in another, our lack of integrity will bring about confusion and an inability to live at peace in His provisions. If we are refusing to follow the Lord's lead in those areas where He has already made His will plain, we should not think we will be able to clearly discern His way for our lives. Simple obedience is the most basic evidence of deep faith!
Need guidance today? Me, too! But we don't have to return to the Law or the Urim and the Thummin. Instead, we turn to the Spirit who lives in us.
Take this word to heart today. May the Lord use His Word to inspire you.
"So don’t you see that we don’t owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. There’s nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God’s Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go!
This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What’s next, Papa?"
God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance!
We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with him!" (Romans 8:12-17, The Message)
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Guide me, O Thou Great Jehovah,
pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty,
hold me with Thy powerful hand.
Bread of Heaven, Bread of Heaven,
feed me 'til I want no more,
feed me 'til I want no more.
Open now the crystal fountain,
whence the healing stream doth flow.
Let the fire and cloudy pillar,
guide me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, Strong Deliverer,
Be Thou still my strength and shield,
Be Thou still my strength and shield. - public domain
Amen.
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