As we approach another new year with a different set of challenges facing Christians world-wide, it is necessary, even now more than ever, for us to take those counsels given us in Proverbs seriously, which say “In all thy ways acknowledge Him”… Added to this is the instruction given us in 1st Thessalonians 5, which are like three little words right on your door step, by which we are encouraged to “Pray without ceasing”… Let’s read:
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
1st Thessalonians 5: 17 Pray without ceasing.
When taken together as a practical workable whole, these timely counsels will serve as a bulwark against those snares, and temptations which have taken us down repeatedly in times past, and which according to the warnings given in scripture, are scheduled to increase in intensity, ferocity, and frequency, as we stand upon the borders of the heavenly Canaan. We should never restrict the sovereignty of God to only certain areas of our lives, whilst excluding Him from others, which we may prefer to manage ourselves.
In order for us, as Christians to live victoriously, and consistently, we must ask for God’s continual power and guidance in all the affairs, and decision-making processes of life. The reason for this is that God has promised to engage both His omnipotence, and His omniscience in behalf of those who will trust, and ask, so as to avoid making those critical errors, and mistakes in judgment, whilst enabling us to put into practice, that which is lawful and right.
This will call for humility, patience, and faith so that God’s good will may be accomplished in due season in the lives of His people. Here is where many of us falter, for we often believe that we are capable of handling our own temporal affairs, independent of God’s guidance; but in so doing we will certainly be made the sport of circumstances. The temptations of satan are often masked under the veneer of logic and so-called intelligence, and because of this we’ll discover that we are utterly unable to discern good from evil, in very many situations. Let’s read:
[Christian service. pp 253] There are many who believe and profess to claim the Lord's promise; they talk about Christ and about the Holy Spirit, yet receive no benefit. They do not surrender the soul to be guided and controlled by the divine agencies. Through the Spirit God works in His people “to will and to do of His good pleasure.” But many will not submit to this. They want to manage themselves. This is why they do not receive the heavenly gift. Only to those who wait humbly upon God, who watch for His guidance and grace, is the Spirit given.
This does not mean that we will never make errors in judgment, but if, and when that occurs, God will be proactive in shielding us from danger, because we made it a habit to check in with Him first, before doing anything in any line. It is the willingness, and the tendency to seek God’s direction that He honors with His guidance, and discretion.
As we stated earlier, God brings to the table several important assets, which are not the domain of any mortal, or created being, but are the exclusive right of God alone. These assets do include omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence. However, it is His power of omniscience that we need most in all our planning. This singular ability of God, to accurately read the future, is of indispensable value to those who are battling visible, and invisible spiritual foes. Let’s read:
Psalms 32:8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
9 Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.
Proverbs 1:1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and
instruction.
Proverbs 2:1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.
9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.
10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;
11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:
12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things;
When God gives a promise, the human agent must always go back to God to find out how, and when it is to be accomplished, because promises are not an end in themselves, to be fulfilled in our own time and way, independent of God. This is where many of us fail so often; because we have the promise at our backs, and because it is something good to do, then we often take it upon ourselves to leave God’s guidance, and instructions out of the picture.
For instance, when God chooses to bless His people financially, the funds are not to be used according to our own discretion, independent of God. Instead, we are to walk humbly before Him in prayer, asking the all-important question, “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do”. Then, in response, God will give us wisdom, and instruction in disbursing, or using the blessing in the best, and most efficient manner for His glory, and the benefit of those whom He designs should be recipients.
But if we assume, that just because it is a blessing from God, that we may do whatsoever we choose with it, then the following passage will certainly be fulfilled in due season. Let’s read:
Proverbs 23:5 For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
Thus, very important lessons can be learned from the experience of one of the prominent characters in the Bible, as he too stumbled on the issue of God being consulted before making any decision. Joshua was granted promises, blessings, and guarantees, to be channeled to the Hebrews. But these were never to preclude a humble prayerful dependence on God as is so often the case with those whom God plans to bless. Let’s read:
[1] The promises, and the blessings:
Joshua 1:1 Now after the death of Moses, the Lord spoke unto Joshua the son of Nun saying,
2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.
3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.
5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
The Confirmation:
Joshua 2:7 And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.
10 Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you;
11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan.
13 And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.
15 And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water,
16 That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.
17 And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.
Joshua 6:27 So the Lord was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country.
Here comes one of the most common mistakes, we as Christians often make. We have the promise, we have the confirmation, and next comes satan with the temptation to presumption, to take for granted that we do not need God’s counsels and instruction anymore, since we obviously have His good favor at our backs. Big mistake!
“In all thy ways acknowledge Him” does not mean in some of thy ways, instead, it means that before we go shopping, before we work, before we go on vacation, before commencing an exercise program, before we call 911, or 411, before we eat, before we open our mouths to speak in volatile situations. Before we choose a career, before a university is to be attended, before choosing a female wife, before we take a job, before we discipline our children, and before we do any of those things we’re accustomed to do without prayer, “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, that He may direct our paths aright”….
That is what it means, and nothing else! In other words, the Christian will constantly be checking in with God throughout the day, waiting and watching, and seeking Him before doing anything. This is how Enoch walked with God, by inviting Him into every area of life, and when Enoch’s mind became fully synchronized with God’s own, he was translated to heaven without seeing death. However, in some of his earlier experiences, Joshua stumbled more than once on the same point, and made bad judgment calls as a direct result. Let’s read:
Joshua 7:2 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.
3 And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labor thither; for they are but few.
4 So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.
5 And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.
6 And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.
7 And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!
10 And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?
11 Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.
12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.
God’s omniscience would have come in handy in a preemptive manner, for if the above information was sought, and given, prior to the encounter at Ai, Joshua would not have sent his men to suffer signal defeat. There are very great, and important lessons for us here, because, like Joshua, we often plan for ourselves, and after we have decided what we are going to do, then we ask God to comply, by adding His blessing.
But it should be the exact opposite, for His will is to be revealed to us first, then we should sign at the bottom of the page, showing a humble reliance, and compliance with His counsels.
Some of us have already begun making plans for the new year without first praying, and we do not even know if we will live to see the new year, but we’ve already started laying our plans way into the future. When God is sought at the back-end of our plans, it is usually too late to avoid serious mistakes, and as such, we should endeavor to humbly learn from the experiences of those who have gone before. Thus, the following caution, and instruction will prove to be of immense value to all those who are willing to wait humbly upon God. Let’s read:
[H.P pp 213] Each morning consecrate yourself and your family to God for that day. Make no calculation for months, or years, for they are not yours. One brief day is given you, and that one day, work for yourself and your family as though it were your last. Surrender all your plans to God, to be carried out or given up, as His providence shall indicate.
In this manner you may, day by day, be giving your life with its plans, and purposes into the hands of God, accepting His plans instead of your own, no matter how much they may interfere with your arrangements, or how many pleasant projects may have to be abandoned. Thus, the life will be molded more, and more after the divine Model; and “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
As we face another untried year, as we face head winds in the political, and spiritual realms, and as the earth is about to be lightened with the glory of God, to bring earth’s probation to a final close, let the following two passages be our motif, our motto, and our way of life, for in so doing, we may navigate the many snares, and pitfalls that are skillfully laid for the feet of the unwary. Let’s read:
Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Psalms 27:14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
Happy New year.
God Bless!