Standing At a Crossroads
Living the Christian life is rarely easy. Take, for example, when we're standing at a crossroads of decision. Do we turn left or right? Which way is the Lord leading? Sometimes it's obvious, but most times, it's really not. And often, despite a multitude of prayers for direction, it seems that God is silent. And so, we stand at the crossroads and deliberate. Right or left? Stay or go?
Jason and I are there. In fact we've been there for a while now, but recent events have led us to seek the Lord's will with increasing fervor (and no, this isn't about moving). The way I see it, we have two choices: wait for God to miraculously place an opportunity in front of us or take action and seek out opportunities that may be awaiting us. Wait or act? The problem is that we don't know which of those choices is the right one. After all, the Bible teaches that there is a time to wait but also that there is a time to act. So, which is this?
On the one hand, I hate to think that we're sitting here praying and waiting, and all the while missing out on a blessing that is just around the corner. Could our frustration and unsettling feelings be the Lord prompting us to take action? It could. I've seen it before in my own life, and unfortunately, by the time I recognized it for what it was, I had spent nearly a year and a half in total misery. I don't want to do that again.
However, I don't want us to make the same mistake Abraham made. In Genesis 12, God told Abraham (or Abram, at the time) to go to the land that He would show him. God led Abraham to Canaan and promised him that he and his children would inherit the land. In short, God said, "Abraham, you're home now." Yet, only a couple of verses later, we find that a famine came to the land, and Abraham packed up his bags and headed down to Egypt. It was there that he and Sarai lied to the Pharaoh and brought trouble to the land because of their deception. Trouble that could have been avoided if Abraham had stayed where God had put him. After all, there is no evidence that God told Abraham to leave. He could have wanted Abraham to stay put, despite the human logic that said, "Hey, there's a famine. We've got to get out of here." You know? In fact, when Abraham left Egypt, guess where he went? Yep, right back where God had told him to go to begin with.
A famine of sorts has reached our household, and we have a decision to make. Wait or act? I just don't know, so dear friend, I am asking for your prayers. This is a situation that is very dear to my heart and one that needs to be resolved one way or another. Jason and I want, more than anything, to be in God's will. If He wants us to wait, we will wait. On the other hand, if He's waiting on us to make the first move, we need to know that. Please, friends, help me pray that the Lord will make His will clear to us and that He will grant us the grace and peace to accept whatever He commands of us.
I realize that today's post was more of a prayer request than a devotion, but I truly feel it is where the Lord was leading. I, personally, had another post in mind, but the Lord kept leading me back to this. So, it is what it is, and I thank you in advance for your earnest prayers on my behalf. God bless you!
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. - James 5:16b