Consult the Lord
I am afraid that there have been too many times in my life that I have not consulted the Lord re: decisions and direction.
In personal and ministry-related decisions.
You do due diligence.
You carefully read all the signs.
You study all the books and articles written on the subject. You check out what the “experts” say about your situation.
You examine the measurable trends.
You look for what has been successful in similar situations.
You study what the marketing experts forecast.
You check out what is trending on social media.
You reflect on the current economic climate.
You are not a lazy person.
You are smart and willing to work hard at your goals.
BUT YOU MISSED ONE INDISPENSABLE ELEMENT!
It is the one thing that will make or break any decision.
You didn’t ask the Lord what He thought or what He wanted in your situation!
I have done just this in too many situations in my life and lived to regret my decision, carrying the consequences like an albatross around my neck… sometimes for years after.
It can happen to the best of us.
Joshua was guilty of this kind of carelessness early in his leadership of Israel into the Promised Land and after two incredible but hard-fought victories over Jericho and Ai.
The fear of the Lord had preceded them through Canaan after word got out about the victories that the God of Israel had given their armies. So the Gibeonites, very close neighbors, decided to trick Israel into a peace treaty… even though the Lord had been very clear to make no alliances with the nations when they got to Canaan (Exodus 34:12&14).
The Gibeonites dressed in worn-out clothes, wore worn out sandals, rode on worn out saddles and carried moldy food to make it look like they had come from a distant land… and therefore posed no threat to Israel.
Make no mistake. The enemy can disguise the circumstances in your life or mine to look very favorably towards the alliance he knows will slow us down or become an Achilles heel in our lives.
So, after doing due diligence, after examining all the relevant evidence, Joshua made the decision to ratify a peace treaty with the Gibeonites… and Joshua 9:14 records this foolishness for us.
“So the Israelites examined their (the Gibeonite’s) food, but did not consult the Lord.”
They did not consult the Lord!
Chilling words!
And, in Israel’s case, it actually signaled the beginning of the end, because it eventually was the compromise with Canaanite gods (the gods of those nations not expelled from the Promised Land) that cost Israel their inheritance and exile from the glory of God and the land.
I suspect that many Christians today examine their circumstances and do not consult the Lord for two main reasons:
1. They have not learned how to listen for His voice.
2. Their faith is at a level where they don’t believe it will make any difference to consult the Lord.
How much blessing could we experience and how much heartache be avoided if we would just develop a practice of consulting the Lord on our decisions… and not just the “big ones.”
Why not start out 2020 asking the Holy Spirit to help you consult the Lord in the decisions you face?!
May I suggest a book for you to read on hearing God’s voice… “Walking with God” by John Eldredge.
The Lord bless you as you enter this new season with the Lord!