March 14, 2015
My Transformation devotional today is about the Wisdom of God. It says that God doesn’t offer His wisdom as an opinion to be considered at your convenience. It says you must start with YES, then ask God what He wants you to do. I started to wonder at how many times I have made a decision, then asked God for wisdom, then went ahead with my own decision. I can think of a recent time with a job that I wanted to apply for. I got this idea stuck in my head that God brought this opportunity back in my life and I was meant to apply for it. Even though I was in no way looking for a job at the time. So I prayed about it, then got out my computer and emailed the lady about the job. I in no way waited for God to answer. I didn’t even give Him the opportunity to answer. It was almost like I was asking God to bless my decision instead of asking God to bless me with HIS decision. Needless to say, the job never happened. And I know that it wasn’t God’s will for my life. But this got me wondering how many other times I have done this exact thing.
The first place my mind went to is my marriage. Did I ask God if this was the husband He had planned for me? CHECK… of course I did… many times. Did Corey and I pray together about this being the right thing to do? CHECK… of course we did… many times. Did I ask for God’s wisdom in the situation? Ehh… I think so… maybe not. I did however start with a YES (to Corey) and then ask God if it was ok with Him. That’s not exactly the order the devotional says to do it in but all in all, much prayer went in to our decision to get married.
And then I started thinking back to the day we got married and all the confirmations that God gave to us. For starters, on July 12th, The Daily Light was meant for that day.
“If two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven … The Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone’… Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up… Let us not put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way… Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. Consider yourself lest you also be tempted.” (Matt 18:19; Gen 2:18; Ecc. 4:9-10; Rom 14:13; Gal 6:2,1)
If that isn’t God giving me His blessing on the day of my wedding, then I don’t know what is. That these Words were inspired by someone to put in a devotional 15 years ago on my wedding day is overwhelming! It is perfect! If there was any question in my mind about God’s Will, it was washed away when these Words were read while we stood at the altar.
And today as I look back, I went even further to look at the next day in The Daily Light and I was overwhelmed once again by the Goodness of God. On July 13th, I have a note written in my Daily Light devotional that says “Woah! Thank you Jesus! Break up for God! (2013)”. I started to think back about what I was doing that day and remembered that I had somehow got involved with a guy that was not good for me right out of the halfway house. I knew that God did not want us together. I received confirmations about this regularly through my quiet time with God. But in July 2013, I was struggling to shake him out of my life. The devil had gained a foothold in my life and I was headed downhill… away from God’s plan. But I also remember July 2013 as being the turning point of when we did break up. And now looking back, I see it was exactly a year before my wedding day that we broke up. This amazes me how perfect God’s timing is. All He needed for me to do was let go of this other guy so He could bring in the real blessing that He had for me all along. AMAZING!
For many years I prayed that God would reveal His wisdom to me when it came to my husband and my entire life. But when I put myself in a position that was outside the will of God, I had the wisdom, but I wasn’t acting on it. I think that is what the devotional means by “God doesn’t offer His wisdom as an opinion to be considered at your convenience”. God’s Wisdom is the ULTIMATE answer. If we don’t listen to Him, or if we listen, but ignore, then we are missing out on His will and purpose for our lives.
I am going to try to keep this in mind when I pray for direction. It’s just not enough to pray for it once, and expect the right answer right away. Usually that is the answer I already had in my head. God wants to give me His wisdom. But I must be determined to act on it when I receive it.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5
Randi,
This is right on! Beautifully written! Amen and Amen!