I sit and ponder what it is that keeps me from moving forward. Is it fear? I am uncertain. I have a sense of knowing there is something that does not seem quite right. Is it the desire of my heart? Is it really the direction I am supposed to take? I know that my direction will determine my destination. So, is this it? I am not certain.
Last year, I had what I perceived to be an opportunity for a business partnership with someone I respect and love. As I stilled myself and processed what was being proposed, I believed it may be a good plan. Believing with confidence that a door was about to be opened, I sought wise counsel. I had worked diligently, sowing and allowing God to prune and nurture my soul for the past few years. I was thinking that this was it, this was the fruit from all the sowing; it was here, and I was so thankful. I worked an entire day and night, making sure that every thing was in order, and that all the I’s were dotted and all the T’s were crossed. I left no stone unturned. I had prepared well, and I was grateful for what had been put together. As I gathered all the papers, I said one last prayer and jumped into the car to head out for my meeting.
The food was and company was great. We sat by the window, in the tiny little restaurant that permeated a sense of grace and due to a lot of background noise, I found I was having difficulty hearing the words being spoken to me. As I continued to listen intently, and focus on the ideas and strategies being presented, I began to get a sick feeling in my stomach. What I had heard prior to that day, was not what I was hearing today. I sat in dismay, re-thinking every thing while we were talking and trying to listen, without my “feelings” of disappointment being worn on my sleeve. I prayed in my heart that in that very moment, God would lead me out of any direction He did not want me to step. I prayed too, that He would protect each of us from anything that was not from Him.
When we left the restaurant, I got into my car and sat there thanking God for the wonderful friend He had brought into my life. I thanked Him for what seemed to be a gift at first, and now seemed as if it was all a joke. Though I did not understand why it was beginning to feel like the wrong way to go, I set my eyes and heart back onto Jesus and His love for me, and reconciled that He knew best. I knew from past experience, I did not always know what was best.
Sometimes, we don’t understand why things do no not go the way we think they should. When we allow God to be in control of our decisions, He will make our path known. Our part is to believe Him and listen to His direction. The peace we receive from Him, offers more than a peaceful life. It offers us an insight to sense when we are not moving in the right direction and when we are. It’s a prompting from the Holy Spirit. In time, through the process of learning more about God, through His Word, we can begin to actively experience this in our personal lives.
The above situation was one between a dearly loved friend of mine and me. We had shared ideas and plans and thought we might be headed into business together. We each sensed the need to wait, and pray over our decision before we finalized any thing. We knew we were connected by God, but we also knew that it was important to pray about every thing first. We wanted to be sure that this was the direction God wanted us to take. We knew it may fail, if it was not. By committing our plans to God through prayer, we chose not to move forward in our plans. Because we think we know what is best, it is not always easy to accept no for an answer. Sometimes, though it may look like a “no,” it could be that little bit of extra encouragement we need to spur us on to the next step in our journey!
I have learned that when we are not certain, and if there is any doubt, do not move forward. We never fully know the plans of the Lord. We do know He uses other people to help us grow and sometimes, He sends us on our way to grow more, and then He brings us back together at a later time. My experience has been that when I take my plans before God and commit them to Him, He will show the way! By committing our plans to the Lord, we can be certain they will succeed and in His perfect timing!
What about you? How do you remain confident you are on the right path?
Suggested Reading: Proverbs 16:3; 2 Thessalonians 3:2-3; Psalm 46:10; Psalm 139:15-18