Jumping to Conclusions?

“I just know that he is planning to ….” and with that, he leapt into the abyss of his own imagination. Have you ever taken a little factoid and turned it into a full-blown conclusion?  Integrity takes a big hit when we rush the process of gathering facts and reach a premature conclusion.  We will make unfounded accusations and risk completely missing the will of our God.  Jesus’ own disciples did it.  One day they saw a blind man. Their immediate assumption was that he was being punished by God!  “Teacher,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it a result of his own sins or those of his parents?”  They raced to what seemed the obvious conclusion. Somebody did something wrong here and that is why things are what they are.  Jesus presented a totally different perspective -  “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “He was born blind so the power of God could be seen in him." (John 9:2-4, NLT)  And, when He healed the man, it provided an opportunity for God to be honored.

Isaiah preached to a generation that ‘just knew’ how things were going, what was about to happen to them; except they didn’t! Isaiah warned them that they were letting themselves be misled. He said,  “Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread." (Isaiah 8:12-13, NIV)

Have you prayerfully and thoughtfully taken the circumstances of your life to Him?

Have you asked to see things and/or people through His eyes; or are you jumping to conclusions?

Are you letting yourself be misled by your own imagination or the earth-bound assumptions of others?

God gives Spirit-filled Christians an amazing gift – insight!  The Holy Spirit shows us the unseen, allows us to align ourselves with the purposes of God and thus,  to be an effective servant of His kingdom. Read this carefully and prayerfully. "That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” But we know these things because God has revealed them to us by his Spirit, and his Spirit searches out everything and shows us even God’s deep secrets. No one can know what anyone else is really thinking except that person alone, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And God has actually given us his Spirit (not the world’s spirit) so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. When we tell you this, we do not use words of human wisdom. We speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. But people who aren’t Christians can’t understand these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them because only those who have the Spirit can understand what the Spirit means." (1 Corinthians 2:9-14, NLT)

Want to avoid rushing to judgment and jumping to conclusions?  Learn to spend time in contemplative prayer, listening at least as much as you speak, inviting the Holy Spirit to mature a godly vision in you.  Here is a word from the Word. May we live in the fullness offered. "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you." (John 16:13-14, NIV)

________

Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah

Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,

Pilgrim through this barren land.

I am weak but Thou art mighty,

Hold me with Thy pow'rful hand.

Bread of heaven, Bread of heaven;

Feed me now and ever more,

Feed me now and ever more.

Open Thou the crystal fountain

Whence the healing stream doth flow.

Let the fiery cloudy pillar

Lead me all my journey through.

Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,

Be Thou still my strength and shield;

Be Thou still my strength and shield.

When I tread the verge of Jordan,

Bid my anxious fears subside.

Death of death and hell's destruction,

Land me safe on Canaan's side.

Songs of praises, songs of praises,

I will ever give to Thee;

I will ever give to Thee.

John Hughes | Peter Williams | William Williams

Public Domain