Recently, I was asked a question. "At what point do you stop waiting for God to give a clear answer and just take some action and make something happen?" Now, I am definitely no expert on the voice of God. I like to think I have some level of discernment and know God's voice. But in those times when you are unsure of exactly what to do - that question always arises. Should I go ahead and do something?? Or do I continue to wait on God? Or, maybe he really is telling me to do something but I'm just not reading the signs or taking the clues... maybe I'm not hearing his voice correctly. I have had so many times when I thought God was telling me something so I went after it with my whole heart, and then it did not turn out the way I had hoped. So, then I feel so foolish and I question whether or not I really know his voice at all. I think about how much I seek after him and how much I desire to please him and do his will. Then when I get it wrong, a thousand things go through my head. Should I have done something differently? Should I have waited? Maybe I prayed wrong? Maybe my motives were wrong?
Something tells me I am not alone in these fears and insecurities. I'm sure they are very common among people who are seeking God's will for their lives. When I look back, I see that some of those things I stepped into on my own were my mistakes. Perhaps my discernment was clouded by my flesh. I think I know what I want. So I think I see confirmation. I make my own connections. So, to avoid these mistakes, is it ok to just wait and do nothing? Should I always be "stepping out in faith" in every situation even if I'm unsure? Are there times when I should just wait and pray? And again, at what time does that waiting and praying turn into stepping out in faith?
One of my very favorite passages in the bible is 2Chronicles 20:1-30. This is the story of King Jehoshaphat. He is faced with a huge problem. A large army (much larger than his) is coming against him. He is terrified and the first thing he does is ask the Lord what he should do. He prays with all the people of Judah standing there. Then the Lord speaks through a man named Jahaziel. God tells them, "Don't be afraid or discouraged because of this large army. The battle is not your battle, it is God's... You won't need to fight in this battle. Just stand strong in your places, and you will see the Lord save you..." Such a powerful response!! And the people do just that; they stand strong. They don't fight, but they don't do nothing either. They stand and sing praises and worship God. While they worship, they watch the Lord cause their enemies to kill each other. Afterwards, they go down to the battlefield and all they see are dead bodies. No one was left alive; no one escaped. There were so many valuables left that it took the people of Judah 3 days to gather it all!
I love this story because Jehoshaphat had a choice. He could have doubted God's plan and decided to fight as hard as he could, step out, and make something happen. God specifically told him not to step out. And even though it did not seem like the wise choice. It might have seemed to outsiders that he was giving up or being lazy... expecting God to do all the work. But in reality, he was giving up... he was giving up control and letting God be God. He wasn't just sitting on the sidelines doing nothing. He was worshipping God! He was praising God while he waited for him to do his thing. I have really thought and prayed over that question I was asked. And I think the key is intimacy with God. We don't wait idle. We go to him immediately. We worship him. We seek him. We stay in communion with him. Then we will know when to take the next step. I do know his voice. The enemy cannot take that from me. He can cause me to doubt it sometimes - but the Word says that I know it - and THAT is Truth! Satan cannot change the truth. And if I make a mistake, which I will because I'm human, God still uses my mistakes for my good. He makes all things new. And he is always in control, even when things seem out of control.
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