Every Circumstance is a Crossroads

Yesterday I spoke about the "shoot first, ask questions later" mentality. How greatly you and I need to get away from that. Believers cannot live like that--well, they can, but they shouldn't. I have been disagreed with on this before, that God does have a plan for you and it's more than just simply principles. Yes, if you are an advocate of "Decision Making and the Will of God" by Gary Freisen, I'll probably disagree with you, because I believe God has more to life than putting us out in a field to go where we please within certain parameters using biblical principles. I totally agree with biblical principles; I love God's word because it's God's. I believe that God, while He may not make all things evident and you'll have to choose sometimes, will honor our request for knowing what to do in a given situation.

I believe we can step out in faith into that situation in our particular response by faith, trusting that we are doing what God would have us to do as we have sought His guidance and promote His will above our own. This is more personal, for sure, and yes, it does step into the experiential. Nevertheless, consider how we do this already--we pray about an upcoming surgery, a big test, a job interview, finding a spouse, etc. Do we pray with enough description? This may be where it could be better utilized. We can pray about that upcoming surgery that what God desires to happen would happen and that our attitude would be to praise Him for His decision. We can pray that God would give wisdom to the doctors and peace to our hearts as we approach that moment. We can pray, but we cannot control the circumstance. Nevertheless, we can control our response.

My dad would probably disagree on this and say something along the lines of, "If there's five quality options, it's up to you to choose. God gives a choice." I agree that God gives a choice, but I also believe that I could pray that God would lead me to one option instead of five and even if there were five options, I could ask God about having wisdom in the decision and choosing that one He would have out of the five. There are definitely four options that I wouldn't end up choosing, and that one that God does have me go with will be with great purpose toward the future of His purposes. Looking at history, I find it very hard to not see the sovereignty of God working in the decisions of men--but what if men simply asked God and stepped out in faith that God was leading them in these decisions? They could at least not second-guess themselves about past decisions when they look at the faith they had in God. I mention our child that we lost last October in some past articles (No Day is Too Dark, and another one prior to that) and I can tell you that this very situation happened with that.

My wife and I prayed to God and asked Him sincerely if He would have us try for another baby. We asked that if He wanted us to have a child, that she'd conceive and that He'd use this child for His glory--and a way of us saying "thank you" to God, a gift to Him. The pregnancy went fine, we saw the baby and still have the pictures from the first ultrasound, a child kicking in the womb. I don't think it was a month later that Ann went to the doctor for a check-up and the baby was dead. Out of the blue, so unexpected, so heart-wrenching and emotional. (Lose a child even through miscarriage someday, maybe you already have, and you'll know how much the loss can hurt, just like losing any other loved one.) I stepped out in faith with Ann and prayed that God's will would be done. She conceived and she lost the baby at the early stages of the second trimester. I could second-guess that decision up the wall and rethink having tried-but I did it in faith and I know that God did what He did with His purposes in mind. I have not lost faith in Him because of His decision, but have only learned that faith doesn't need greener pastures to walk on when you step forth in it.

I could tell you many stories like that, of giving money that we didn't have, or of giving my resignation notice at my job with nothing to go to, yet by praying I was shown what to do in these situations and by faith I stepped forth and did what was instinctive at the time as I looked to Jesus. I left a $30,000 a year job last year to go to a camp and mow for $170 a week for two months, then went back to school and incurred more debt and had no job during that time. I prayed and followed through in faith, and God never let me fall, though at times there were definite uncertainties about the future.

Treat life like this--just ask, and ask, and ask God about how to go about your day, this situation or that situation, just ask. Ask in faith, believing that God has an answer and that He will lead you into the path He wants you to take. Other people may totally disagree with your decisions, but do you live to please men, or to please God? "If I were to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Jesus Christ." (Galatians 1:10) Jesus, the Son of God, sought God's will in everything. He did not put the horse before the cart. You should do the same. Every circumstance is a crossroads--will you ask God how to handle your situation and step out in faith, believing that He will not lead you wrong, or will you step out into your situation, making your decision through only your ability to think it through, and then ask God to bless what you only hope was the right decision? I can project how to handle a situation, but only God knows the situation from entrance to exit and only He knows best. Every circumstance is a crossroads.

40 When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."
41 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed,
42 saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."
43 Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.
44 And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
45 When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow.
46 Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."
47 And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him.
48 But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"
49 When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?"
50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.
51 But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this." And He touched his ear and healed him.
52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs?
53 "When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."
54 Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house. But Peter followed at a distance.
55 Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.
56 And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him."
57 But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him."
58 And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are of them." But Peter said, "Man, I am not!"
59 Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean."
60 But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!" Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."
62 So Peter went out and wept bitterly.
(Luk 22:40-62 NKJ)