Signs...

Decisions can be agonizing at times. Sometimes it's due to my own lack of attention to God's guidance. He coaxes and directs, but I fail to hear and see, my focus being elsewhere. Other times His silence about a particular subject is direction enough. But I'm not satisfied with unanswered questions, so I continue to struggle in my heart. This is unfortunate, "for God is not a God of confusion but of peace..." (1 Corinthians 14:33). He desires peace for me, especially when I come to a fork in the road.

I remember Gideon and the fleece (Judges 6:36-40). He was looking for a clear sign from God, but when God sent it, Gideon was still uncertain. His own fear stood between him and clarity. He asked God to confirm the message, and God gently, patiently did so.

Someone recently shared with me that he is sometimes so confused that he simply asks God to close all the wrong doors. He went on to say, "I guess that's immature." I said, "No! That's a very mature way to approach decisions." In Mark 10, Jesus speaks of childlike faith. He's not implying blind action. Rather He's referring to confidence in something that's trustworthy...like a child instinctively trusts his parents.

As we age and learn, we take control and use our own "intelligence." It's only with spiritual maturity that we return to childlike faith, understanding the frailty of our wisdom compared to His. God wants us to trust Him that way.

Whether it's a fork in the road or a desire for something new, I really want signs to give me direction. Many times I have prayed for a big neon sign from God. A few times He has cleared the fog of my own making to give me an undeniable message. Actually, I can count 4 times in my life that He has given me a big neon sign. During the next few entries, I'll share with you those special moments in my life.