In Numbers 13 and 14 we find the dramatic events at the edge of the promised land. God told Moses to send 12 Israelite leaders into the new territory, a land that He was going to deliver to them. When the 12 came back, ten had reasoned arguments why they should not advance into Canaan, while two claimed they should. This is a prime example in which the majority doesn't, or shouldn't, rule. Ten decided what they thought should be done. Two correctly discerned the will of the Lord.
For all of God's people, our lives, our churches, our every choice is to be one of discerning His direction, not of deciding what we think should be done. This message walks through this story, so you may want to have a Bible handy if you're listening to it. I'd appreciate any thoughts or reflections.
May God help us all to know, hear, and heed His will for our lives.
Karl
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Thank you, Karl, for a very challenging message. I find myself asking, Do we make finding the will of God too difficult, or is it God's design that it should take some searching? I suspect the latter.
ReplyDeleteKarl, your message left me convicted and inspired. The Lord was truly working through you as you shared from Numbers 13 and 14. My prayer is that we as a body of believers repent of our past sins where God's Will was DECIDED but not DISCERNED, and move forward seeking only to do His will. Thanks for the exhortation!
ReplyDeleteGary, I've wondered the same question...do we make it all too difficult? Scripture affirms that God is sovereign and He has a way of advancing His purposes in an unstoppable way. At the same time, He still involves us in the process of discernment. I think a big reason is that the process reveals our hearts through the challenge. The important thing for us is to submit our hearts to what we know He wants, and for the direction that remains unclear we must be wholeheartedly willing to say yes to God, no matter what. Unfortunately, that is the sticking point that sometimes can potentially make a choice more difficult...to get us to that place of absolute submission to Him as Lord. But if we're in that place, we can walk forward with real hope. Trusting, hoping, and submitting to the Lord are His will for us. This is crystal clear, even when the individual choices are not.
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