Big Decisions

To wait on God is to live a life of desire toward Him, delight in Him, dependence on Him, and devotedness to Him.  Matthew Henry

If you are like me, there are often times when big decisions come along in your life and you have to make a choice.  The biggest issue I run into is when to move.  Not just forward or backward, but in any direction. 

Several problems present themselves when I am in the midst of making a big decision that will affect my life in numerous ways.  There is always the fear of making the wrong decision.  The thing about this problem is if we believe Isaiah 41:10, (Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’) then this isn’t such a big problem. 

The next problem I often run into is; am I allowing God to help me make the decision or am I taking it out of His hands and trying to control the outcome? There have been times in my life when I didn’t pray about the decisions I needed to make in my life and the majority of the time those decisions didn’t turn out so well in the long run.  I think that is where Proverbs 3:5-6 comes in.  (“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.)

Another problem I have is waiting.  Because we live in a fast paced world, we often have lost the ability to wait.  If we run ahead of God; we may lose or miss the life God wants for us because we are too impatient to wait for Him.  In Habakkuk 2:1-3 he gives us a description of waiting.  (“I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected.  Then the Lord answered me and said: ‘Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.  For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.  Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.)

One of the most difficult things I face in making decisions is well, “difficulty”.  Too many times I run into difficulties when I am in the process of making big decisions.  Sometimes those very difficulties are to test us and other times they are to help us determine if this is the right step to take in the decision.  James 1:2-4 best describes how we should handle difficulties in decision making.  (“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.  But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.)

The most important part of overcoming the fear, giving Him control, waiting for Him, and persevering through the difficulties is that God will deliver us.  We see this in Psalm 27:13.  (“I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”) If I need to move, the most important thing I can do is to wait on God to tell me when.

   

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, You provide the tools we need to make the big decisions in life.  Too many times I circumvent the very blessings You want for me because I fear, try to take control from You, become impatient and admit defeat in difficult circumstances. I want You to be my decision Maker.  If I trust in You in all things, You will make my path straight.  I praise You for your blessings in my life.      

      

Scripture:  For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.  Ephesians 3:14-21