Does God care whether I buy a VW or a Cadillac if I can afford either one?
That isn't the question I really want to address but it illustrates sometimes the debate over whether we can know the will of God or not. This question actually came up in an adult Sunday School class I attended once upon a time. It led to a very spirited debate. Quite frankly, I don't even remember what the topic of discussion was about in the first place.
The question I really want to ask is, "At what point do we involve God in our decision-making? Often it isn't until after all the details have been worked out and we are asking God to bless what we have already done or decided to do. For some, it isn't until their decisions have led to a crisis or place of difficulty where they know they have no other resort than to ask God to bail them out...again.
When you read the Old Testament, especially the books of I & II Kings and Judges, you see this was the pattern of the people of Israel. They would forget the things the Lord had done for them, make decisions to worship other gods, wind up in captivity, and then ask God to come to their rescue. We look with incredulity at their ignorance, but are we really any different?
If we truly want to be different, we might want to look at the example of Gideon. He presented to God all the questions and concerns that he had, as well as the self-doubt he felt when he thought about being a leader (Judges 6). His protests were heard by God but God's response was simply to say, "I will be with you." And that is all that was needed.
The same is true for us. We don't need to know the future. We don't need to see the whole picture. We need only to know that God is with us. And God is willing to do whatever we need for Him to be real to us. God does not punish us for our doubts, fears, and uncertainties. He does not mind that we put Him to the test. He invites us to do so. God wants us to know that He has no intention of letting us down or allowing us to fail. But, we need to be honest with Him about our concerns and look for His reassurance. His words to us are similar to those He spoke to Gideon, "Go in the strength you have...Am I not sending you?"
That isn't the question I really want to address but it illustrates sometimes the debate over whether we can know the will of God or not. This question actually came up in an adult Sunday School class I attended once upon a time. It led to a very spirited debate. Quite frankly, I don't even remember what the topic of discussion was about in the first place.
The question I really want to ask is, "At what point do we involve God in our decision-making? Often it isn't until after all the details have been worked out and we are asking God to bless what we have already done or decided to do. For some, it isn't until their decisions have led to a crisis or place of difficulty where they know they have no other resort than to ask God to bail them out...again.
When you read the Old Testament, especially the books of I & II Kings and Judges, you see this was the pattern of the people of Israel. They would forget the things the Lord had done for them, make decisions to worship other gods, wind up in captivity, and then ask God to come to their rescue. We look with incredulity at their ignorance, but are we really any different?
If we truly want to be different, we might want to look at the example of Gideon. He presented to God all the questions and concerns that he had, as well as the self-doubt he felt when he thought about being a leader (Judges 6). His protests were heard by God but God's response was simply to say, "I will be with you." And that is all that was needed.
The same is true for us. We don't need to know the future. We don't need to see the whole picture. We need only to know that God is with us. And God is willing to do whatever we need for Him to be real to us. God does not punish us for our doubts, fears, and uncertainties. He does not mind that we put Him to the test. He invites us to do so. God wants us to know that He has no intention of letting us down or allowing us to fail. But, we need to be honest with Him about our concerns and look for His reassurance. His words to us are similar to those He spoke to Gideon, "Go in the strength you have...Am I not sending you?"
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