Word of Encouragement (02/24/2022)

Desirous to know God’s choice for Isaac’s bride, Eliezer asks for a certain sign so that “By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master.” And it is wonderful to see how God answers his prayer right away! So, today, let’s see whether we should pray this kind of prayer to discern God’s will for our lives. My concern is not whether we can do this or not. We can pray for anything and in any way we want. Whether it pleases God and God will answer it is a different story. We should also ask whether this is the wisest thing we can do. I’m sure there are times when we want so desperately to know God’s will in a particular issue and engage in this kind of prayer. There are a few things to keep in mind.

This may seem like a cool, spiritual way of discerning God’s will. When we are at a crossroads and we have no idea which path to take, we sure would like to have a sign that tells us which way to go. And when that sign comes as an undeniable message from God (because it fits the condition you have set up as Eliezer did), you can proceed with assurance and confidence.

But we can see how this kind of prayer can be risky. This can limit our ability to discern God’s will by too narrowly defining what the sign is. You know the “parable” of a man, who went up on the roof of his house to escape from the rising water of a flood. Being a Christian, he prayed to the Lord, confident that He would save him. But he ignored a big log, a boat, and a helicopter that came by, expecting God to rescue him. Then, he drowned. When he woke up in heaven, he complained to the Lord, “I trusted You, Lord, to rescue me! Why did you let me die?” And the Lord replied, “I sent you a log, a boat, and even a helicopter!” Of course, this is only a “parable” and there are some theological inaccuracies. But it illustrates how fixating on the way we want God to operate can blind us to the ways God is actually working in our lives.

Also, while getting a sign from God sure is a convenient way for us to discern God’s will, it may not be a mature way. There is a huge difference between getting the answer right on a test (by chance) and knowing how to get the right answer. Just knowing what God’s will is by yes or no answers doesn’t help us grow in our understanding of God and His will. Jesus said, “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15). God wants us to grow in maturity. This spiritual maturity comes from understanding the mind of God, which is revealed to us in His Word. As we grow in our understanding of God, we would know how to make the kind of decisions God would approve of.

Does this mean we don’t have to pray when we seek God’s will? Of course not! We may not be asking for a sign but prayer helps us to distill off any selfish desires and worldly mindset we may have, which prevent us from keeping our hearts in tune with God’s will. May the Lord conform our hearts and minds more and more to His!