3/21/06 – Is it You or God Leading?

Hi all,

I've taken some time away from Weekly Thoughts the last couple weeks for a stretch of back to back ministry and time off following that.

I've always been interested in the dividing line between needing to know God is leading in a direction or saying something versus just being led of the Lord without knowing it. One of my favorite sayings is 'our steps are ordered of the Lord', which to me means that I am being led and directed even if I don't know it.

So where is that dividing line between knowing God is directing you and not knowing, but being led anyway?

How many times have people said to you that what you did or said was answered prayer? (and you didn't even know you were being used by the Lord) Or perhaps you just did what was right and in your means to do and it was used by the Lord and you knew it...but you didn't get a direct word, you just did what was in your power to do.

How important is it that we know we are being led by the Lord? Is the need to know we have a direct word for our benefit more than anything else? Why does the Lord seems to be silent in some ways, causing us just to trust we are being led, while at other times he speaks directly to us? Is it wrong to want to get a direct word before launching out?

In Acts 7:23 Steven tells us that when Moses "was full 40 years old it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel."

Moses was being led by the Lord, for this 'visit' started his journey that made him leader over the new nation of Israel...but it doesn't say God told him, or even that God put it on his heart, it just says 'it came into his heart'. (Yet clearly it was God leading him)

So it's this dividing line between knowing we have a word from God versus not knowing but walking through life in trust and faith that is the subject today.

When I was a teenager I started to get off, seeking God for a direct word for every step in life. Some friends sat me down and (my mom too, to an extent) and made me see that some decisions are left to us. I don't have to hear from God to go to the bathroom or put gas in the car when it's near empty or go to the grocery store for food when the pantry is bare...those things are within our control; we don't need God to tell us. At that time however I was thinking on where to go to college, where to work, what the call of God on my life was all about, and I wanted a direct word.

However, I didn't hear from God on where to go to college...I went to Indiana University because that's where mom and dad went, and where my girlfriend would be going...

It seemed at the time I was forced to make my own decision because God would not give me a word--to me it seemed stronger than that, that God refused to speak to me on the subject...so I had to assume that since he was silent the choice was up to me...I had the sense He was watching, waiting for me to make up my mind...but the process intrigued me, and still does to this day...

It would have been presumption to just sit and not make a decision, and the timing was such that I had to make a decision (newly graduated from high school with the fall semester looming large on the horizon)...and God would have just sat there and been silent about it...because it was up to me to decide; it was within my authority.

And that's really what I'm talking about; how to determine what is within our authority and what is within God's authority.

For instance, in I Timothy 5:8 it says that if 'any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever.' In Titus 3:14 he says 'let our people learn to maintain good works for necessary uses...(work and family and giving), and in Ephesians 4:28 he says of former thieves: "rather let him work with his hands that which is good, that he might have to give to him that is in need."

So working, giving, providing for family is something we don't need a word from God on, because it's revealed in the Word already...

Here's the dividing line: If it's revealed in the Word then we don't need a fresh word from God, however he may give us a fresh word to direct us to a specific job. For example, working is a given, but where to work may come as a fresh word.

Many of us have applied for jobs based on a peace, revelation, or it 'just felt right' to work there. We don't need to hear from God that we need to work. But WHERE to work came by a specific revelation communicated by peace, a hunch, or it just felt right down inside.

But not always do we feel led a particular way. Paul was by trade a tent maker, and in Acts 18:1-3 he went into business with Aquila and Priscilla who were also tent makers, and who became some of Paul's most trusted and faithful co-workers in the faith, for he sends greetings to them and the church meeting in their home(s) several times in his letters.

But it doesn't say the Lord told him to set up shop there...he went with the revealed word to work in life until and unless the Lord directed otherwise. Evidently there was no other word, so he did what he was trained to do, build tents. He didn't need a word for that, he had the training, the opportunity, and the market was there for his skills.

He worked in Corinth a short time, but then switched to another revealed word about ministers living by the offerings of people they ministered to, which he addressed in I Corinthians 9 (all). He says elsewhere that he worked at the first so he wouldn't be a burden on them, but after a time he quit work to be supported by them. This allowed them to become partakers of the ministry and receive blessings from God as a result.

He mentions the OT scripture about not muzzling the ox and how it is right that if he had given spiritual things it was right they give him back carnal things (money/financial support). From that time on as far as we know, he lived off the offerings from the network of churches he ministered in and helped raise. He was speaking to potential givers into his ministry, by telling them the revealed word says to give money to those who minister to you, you don't need a word from God on the matter, do what is right. Perhaps some were waiting for a 'word from God' before supporting his ministry, we don't know. But the crux of his teaching was to do what the revealed Word said to do, for that is right.

Jesus, in his earthly ministry, was the Word made flesh, so he was always flowing in the revealed Word. He went about doing good and healing...Yet at the end of his ministry he needed a fresh revelation of what the Word said. In the transfiguration of Luke 9:28-36 it relates that Moses and Elijah appeared to Jesus and spoke to him of his death which would happen in Jerusalem (v31).

Moses represents the Law and Elijah the prophets, so they would have spoken to Jesus about the types and shadows of the Law, the tabernacle and sacrifices (Moses) and the prophetic scripture about the Messiah and his final days and future resurrection (Elijah).

After the transfiguration and this fresh Word from the Father Jesus' whole mood and focus changes. Luke 9:51 says he set his face to go to Jerusalem, and in 10:1 he sent 35 more pairs of disciples...all because of the fresh revelation from the already revealed Word that he was to die shortly in Jerusalem.

So even though it was revealed, the Father allowed Jesus to see in a fresh way how the revealed word was to be applied in that time and that place.

That helps bring to balance those that go the other way...as I said, at one point as a teen I was inclined to just sit and wait for God to speak, but there are others who just march on without any sense of timing just 'because the Word says so'. We must be balanced in these things. We do what is common sense unless we get a revealed word otherwise.

Though Jesus was certainly intimately familiar with the revealed Word Moses and Elijah were sharing with him, it was the timing of the application of these passages that was brought forth in the transfiguration. Springing forth from the general revealed word was a specific word for him at that time.

In Acts 13:44-49 we have the story of Paul ministering to the Jews of  Antioch of Pisidia (Turkey) who rejected Paul's claims of Jesus being the Messiah. Paul said in verse 46: "It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you...but seeing you put it from you...we turn to the Gentiles. For so has the Lord commanded us saying: 'I have set you to be a light to the Gentiles that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth."

Here we see the balance...Paul preached first to the Jews. He said it was necessary. In other words, the revealed word indicated they were the people of the covenant, so he had an obligation to speak to them first.

BUT, when they rejected it, he had a word from God for him personally to go to the Gentiles as well. The first word was the general revealed word that the Jews are the people of the covenant-that's a foundation truth-yet when they rejected Jesus Paul went further up the 'building' to a personal word to him about his ministry, and moved on that. But he didn't go to the Gentiles until he first covered the revealed word.

The passage Paul quotes that God spoke to them about their ministry was actually a prophecy from Isaiah 49:6 about the Messiah-Jesus-yet the Father quickened it and spoke it to Paul and Barnabus for their ministry. The fresh word came from the revealed word-again we see that pattern.

Paul did what was right, then when the decision was made for him by the Jews, he went to the personal word the Lord gave him and God blessed that.

Thus we see that we move according to what we know is right and what is right in the word, until and unless others necessitate us moving to the more tightly defined word for us personally.

It should be noted however that immediately after this experience, in Acts 14:1 when he went into a different city (Iconium) Paul went right back to the synagogue, repeating the action of doing right by letting the Jews have first chance at believing in Jesus, but then going to the Gentiles.

Thus we see that whatever we feel God has spoken to us personally will never contradict the revealed Word of God...thus Paul went right back to the revealed word, giving the Jews in Iconium the same chance the ones in Pisidia had.

When he moved into a situation in which he didn't have a direct word or 'structure' given by the Lord, he did what he knew to do, he went to the Jews first, then the Gentiles, acting on his personal word.

This is where Christians get into trouble, they have the revealed word already, but they are waiting for a fresh word from God...but when he doesn't speak we are to do what is already revealed.

For instance in Jesus life and ministry, he was going about his ministry as usual, going on the revealed word until Moses and Elijah appeared to him to speak to him about his impending death in Jerusalem.

Jesus did what he knew to do until the Father quickened a fresh word to him. Paul was telling the Corinthians they didn't need a word from God for them to give into his ministry, the Word already said to take care of those who minister to you. Paul didn't need a direct word before going to the Jews with the message of Jesus, it was already revealed that they were the children of the covenant.

Where we get off is the sin of presumption...we refuse to do what is right and within our own authority because we are waiting for a fresh word from God. If there is no fresh word that means we are to do what the revealed word says to do, and the Lord will direct us from there.

Paul could have gotten into a "told you so" mentality when it came to the Jews not believing in Jesus. He could have forced the issue of Jesus on them, forcing himself on them, becoming what might be called a "Bible Banger"...but instead he didn't get into pride and force his testimony and what God had done for him on them, trying to make them received the Word of Jesus...he went where he was celebrated, where he was accepted and received with open arms...to the Gentiles.

I think sometimes we so want to prove our point to people that even after they reject us we want to have the last word, forcing them to see what God has done instead of just doing what the revealed word says and move on to the specific word God gave to us. That is their story they will have to stand before the Lord for, our job is to do what is right and leave those who reject us to their own lives. When Jesus wanted to go into Samaria after the transfiguration but they didn't want him to come, the disciples wanted to call down fire from heaven on them like Elijah did, but Jesus told them they didn't know what Spirit they were of.

He told them in essence, "Drop it, let it go". In this study of doing what is right because it's revealed versus having a fresh word, sometimes we just have to accept the rejection of others and not seek to shove our victory in their faces, for that is pride, we just have to move on to what God is doing in our lives. In this passage Jesus told one man to let the dead bury their own dead and to put the hand to the plow and not look back to another. Go on with your call and life in God, and let those who reject you go their way.

Over the years I've seen many who fall back on 'God must tell me' who neglect what is already revealed in the Word to do...and God won't speak a fresh word to them because he is waiting for them to do what is right and proper and already revealed. Thus nothing happens because they wait for God to speak yet God has already spoken in the Word and more than that, they know what is right, yet they don't want to do it, but use the excuse that God must tell me.

In II Samuel 7:1-4 we have the story of David coming to the realization that he lived in a palace yet God still lived in a tent, as he had 400 years earlier when he traveled the wilderness with Moses and Israel. David wanted to build him a house (temple) and Nathan told him, "Go, do all that is in your heart; for the Lord is with you."

David was the king, he loved God, Nathan didn't have any other word, so he told him to do what was in his heart. But that night verse 4 tells us that the Lord came to Nathan with a word for David that told him Solomon would build the temple, not him.

This was a case of a person doing what seemed right, but the Lord had other plans. I like the fact that David was going to take action and leave it to the Father to steer him in the right direction.

We can also expect God's protection if circumstances are such that as we've moved on the revealed and/or personal word from God and are in a tough place. In Acts 27:10 Paul is a prisoner aboard a Roman ship heading to Rome. Paul says he perceives the voyage will be dangerous, to the point of losing the ship, cargo and their lives.

Paul had been doing what Jesus asked him to do...preach the gospel...and he got arrested for it and was on his way to Rome via this ill fated voyage. He was in circumstances out of his control...in spite of his warnings they set sail, and sailed right into a horrible storm. In the midst of the storm an angel appeared to Paul and told him he would be brought before Caesar, and that all 276 men would be saved though the ship and cargo would be lost.

There are times where we do what we know to do, but the enemy has traps along the way. But we should be encouraged that even then, as long as we are moving and doing what is right and what we know to do, God can steer us clear of harm and bring us into the fullness of His will for us.

God can't steer a parked car. We have to get moving before he will steer us. We are just to do what is right, do what is revealed in the Word, and then, like Jesus, if further revelation is needed He will steer us and give us a fresh word. (or give us a fresh word to get us out of a storm of life)

Remember at the start how I mentioned that I made the decision to go to Indiana University because God was silent? Well, in September of my sophomore year the Lord spoke to my girlfriend and I about our call to the ministry, his will for our marriage, and life after college.

We were a moving car so to speak in that we made a 'natural' decision of going to college, and he was steering us, giving us a fresh word at the right time.

We must study the Word so we know what God expects, and we must walk with the Lord so he can speak to us any deviation from our path He wills. We can't sit back in the fear of the unknown waiting for a fresh word when God's word has already revealed the basic outline of how to live. Go back to the last revealed word you have, or the last scripture that was quickened to you, and make decisions based on those...otherwise, just do what is in your heart and hand to do and let the Lord steer you.

Don't be so afraid of making a mistake that you sit like a parked car unable to move or be used by him. Go about your life according to the revealed Word, common sense, and wisdom to live in this world until and unless God directs you otherwise.

It is in these times where we are moving on the revealed word but not yet having a fresh word that we are unknowingly led by God. As Jacob remarked when he was unknowingly led in his journey and saw the Lord standing at the top of a heavenly stairway, "Surely the Lord is in this place and I didn't know it", so too as we do what the Word says we can look at our journey and observe that the Lord was guiding us and we didn't know it at the time.

 

Blessings,
John Fenn
cwowi.org