Book 1 of Musings Bringing Our Decisions to God

The biggest problem we have as people is trying to make our decisions without God. If Eve had asked God's opinion she would have saved us 6,000 years of trouble.

You know, life is made up mostly of decisions. Think about today. How many decisions have you made since you got out of bed?

The great majority of decisions we make are minor. But sometimes we have to make a major decision - whether to move or to stay where we are; whether or not to get a doctor's opinion; whether or not to quit our job.

After having been a Christian for more than fifty years I have gotten into the habit of asking God about everything I do, no matter how small or how large the issue.

Being a pastor, of course I pray about what to preach at each service. I take nothing for granted. And we have no "afterglow" services that are kind of put together hastily after a major message. To me, every service without exception is a major move of the Kingdom of God. I look to God with all my might, even though I know there may be only a few people in attendance.

But there are a host of other decisions that have to be made that day: what to eat and drink; what clothes to wear; how much rest to take before the service; what to pray for while I am preparing.

All of us have many decisions to make during the day. When I was a schoolteacher I had numerous decisions to make during the day regarding the lessons, regarding the children. I'm sure you have a multitude of decisions to make on your job.

Right now while I am writing, I am asking the Lord for help.

If any man lack wisdom, let him ask the Lord. God will not rebuke him for asking but will provide abundantly.

The old song goes, "O what needless pain we bear; all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer."

Truer words were never written.

Perhaps we think God is too busy to concern himself with the brand of cereal we buy. He is not! God's concern is that He stands ready to assist us and we do not ask.

How much does God know about our life? Everything! How much does He know about our vocation or profession? Everything! In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

One night driving home from a meeting in Lemon Grove I was driving over a bridge. Underneath is a large valley filled with homes and businesses.

At one end of the valley is a dam. On the other end is the Pacific Ocean.

I said, "Lord, if we have an unusually heavy rain, such as a 'hundred-year rain' as they call it (meaning that about every hundred years we have a massive rain in our area), thousands of homes and businesses are going to be destroyed."

The Lord responded, "I take no pleasure in seeing the homes of people destroyed, their personal effects floating about. But they will not ask My advice. If they had asked Me, I would have shown them how to get around this problem."

Does God care about our natural life? If I remember correctly, Dr. George Washington Carver was able to create many household items out of pine cones, clay, and whatever else was handy. God showed Dr. Carver how to make these items, and saved the economy of the South. The farmers had destroyed the soil by planting only cotton.

At present America is facing a dilemma concerning Iraq and terrorists. Divine wisdom is needed. Is our government praying or relying on our military power?

Are the Jews praying about the dilemma they have concerning the Palestinians, or are they trusting in the United States?

Are the Russians and the Chinese praying about their destinies?

God is so willing to help us with the smallest of decisions, such as how to treat a blister on our hand, as well as with major decisions, such as should we get married and to whom.

Why don't people great and small ask God for help with their decisions? Why are we so determined to live our lives without God?

The Apostle Paul advised us to pray without ceasing. This may seem impossible. It is not. As we cultivate the habit of asking God about every decision we make, like whether we should go to the store or not, or what we should buy once we get there, or what we should do about our headache, or whether we should follow the advice of a friend, the first thing you know we are praying about everything. We are praying without ceasing.

I do not like to turn the radio on in our car when we are driving. The talking or music seems to interfere with the channel that is open between the Lord and me. I am afraid of missing some nuance of advice, or warning, or encouragement, or revelation.

Believe me, I am not trying to be religious. I am speaking of the most practical of actions - that of living in the Presence of God.

Have you ever run through a check of the Lord? Do you know what a check of the Lord is? It is a gentle nudge of the Holy Spirit.

You are about to do something. Suddenly you feel that nudge and you know you are about to make a wrong move. Has that ever happened to you?

You know what? If we are not walking carefully before the Lord, we plow through the check, the warning. Every time that has happened to me, and I ran through the check, I found out about the problem the Lord wanted me to avoid.

But you have to be living quietly before the Lord and looking to Him at all times. If you are charging around in your lusts and passions you will not hear the gentle voice of the Spirit of God.

It is neither difficult nor impractical to bring every decision of your life to the Lord. You have to draw on some source for your decisions, whether your knowledge, or experience, or someone else's advice. Isn't it so?

If such is the case, why is it more difficult to look to God for wisdom?

Ever since the fall in the Garden of Eden, it appears people are bent on going their own way without God. This is why the world is in the present confusion. We are trusting in money, or politics, or education, or some other man-made device to bring peace and prosperity. Yet it does not happen, does it?

If President Bush waits to see what Saddam Hussein will do, our country may suffer incredible loss. And the president will be cursed for not acting.

If President Bush strikes first, there will be a hue and cry that he is playing politics or trying to be a cowboy.

He cannot win no matter what choice he makes, and he is intelligent enough to know this.

Being a Christian man our president undoubtedly is praying. I wish every member of the government would pray. We need to know what the Lord is saying. God knows the best way to solve the present problems, including the economic downturn. God knows, and God can and would solve every problem if we asked instead of trusting our own wisdom.

Will the United States turn to God for wisdom concerning these enormous issues? Will Israel turn to God for a constructive solution to the conflict with the Palestinians?

We would hope so. But it may not happen. In this case, God will save the individuals who do look to Him for every detail of their lives. The remainder may suffer greatly because they do not look to the Lord for help in their time of trouble.

God is great. God is good. God is vitally interested in every detail of your life and mine. Whatever we take for granted, not looking to Christ, is loss for Christ; loss for us; and loss for those who depend on us.

How simple and straightforward it is to look to God for every decision we make during the day, including what time we go to bed at night.

Every decision!

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

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