One of the personal goals I set before heading off on our weeks vacation was to simply listen to what God might have to say to me. With a potentially very heavy career decision pending, I wanted to get some direction. Knowing that God already knows my days and plans for my life (Jeremiah 29:11), I knew I didn’t have to do the talking. I couldn’t think of a better setting to observe God’s majesty, His power and hopefully hear his voice. Sure enough, by the end of the week, I thought I had some clear insights into what exactly I would do.
Some of you may remember the old computer programming “If/Then” statements. It was a way of taking data and recording it, then producing some results. What I basically did this past week was provide God an If/then statement. In other words, I said “Lord, IF this, this and this happens, THEN I will know it’s your will and I will move full steam ahead“. Then it hit me today, what a completely faithless statement that is. I wasn’t listening at all. I was saying “Lord, IF you remove all of the risk, THEN I will act”. It would be my belief that He asks us to be more faithful then that. The question then becomes what if this, this and this don’t happen? Will you still be willing to move? Will YOU take the risk and trust? Will YOU step out on faith without the net and allow me to direct your days as I always have?
A few years ago a friend told me that he was struggling with belief in God. He said he needed “a sign”. He told me this statement as we sat in his huge home. He has a wonderful marriage, 2 healthy children, a great job, cars in the driveway and many other blessings. My thought at the time was that everywhere I looked; I could see signs of God’s blessing on his life. Yet, here I am, doing the same thing. I am looking for “a sign”. It’s time to take a risk, LISTEN to what God is saying and not provide the options. If I have the faith to do those things, Then I believe He will be faithful to whatever it is that He is calling me to do. (Psalm 145:13)
