How many times in our lives will we have a major life changing decision confronting us? I expect many. Who do we turn to help guide us through these difficult waters? Our family, advice from a friend, Pastors, medical authorities or other professionals, they all help us in making up our minds based on the information we’ve gathered. Perhaps our ‘circumstances dictate’ our course. Although these may be typical and some admirable sources for helping us make decisions; how many of us will pray and wait on God for His guidance? Where does His guidance through His Word speaking to our hearts fit in amongst our criterion for decision making? Sometimes, it may seem that we need to take action and “do something”, react, be spontaneous, (ie: be “on the ball”, have your “finger on the pulse”.” We all have a strong, natural inclination to take things into our own hands. How many times have we done this only to later reconsider that our decision was made in haste? We don’t foresee how the impact of one decision will beget more difficult decisions and consequences. God will weigh in His counsel if we will hear His still, small voice. His ways are not our ways and many times He leads us in directions that have nothing to do with our rational or sensible logic for making choices. We need to set our hearts to wait on God; to esteem His life with our own, bearing in mind that many other people are affected by our lives. By honoring God as best as we can, we can be individuals cooperating with God’s will being done.  

 ^“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace“.                                                                          Romans 8:5-6

In the advice of our elders and those who have walked closely with God, we recognize temperance and wisdom. By their life’s experience they have grown in understanding. We do well to regard their testimony. A mature person demonstrates good judgment; they have insight and are our examples. We also, are maturing in our relationship with God; growing in understanding and resting in His love. We can trust Him, He cares for us, the Holy Spirit sought us out when we were walking contrary to God, how much more can He work in our lives when our ears are inclined? God desires an intimate relationship with us, He calls us His friends (Jn 15;13-14). How it pleases the Father to have a two way conversation with us.

In Luke 8:43-48 there was a woman that had an issue of blood (or an incurable disease) for 12 years. Year after year for those 12 years she sought God for healing but her condition only worsened. She searched out the aid of physicians; these physicians could not heal her and only left her broke and still desperate. Can you imagine the heartache and the pain she must have suffered after every unsuccessful remedy? Yet she persevered not to lose hope or give up under these overwhelming feelings of despair. Why? Because she knew God would be gracious to heal her, she went to great lengths to pursue the Master. This desperate woman would have had to have great faith to go out in public being “unclean” according to Jewish law. Crawling on her hands and knees and pushing her way through the crowd she found Jesus and touched the hem of his garment. Imagine the burning desire within her to seek the Lord for healing despite 12 years of worsening health.

When Jesus came to her town on that certain day, she drew healing virtue from Him. He realized it immediately and sought after who it was. He commended the woman by stating that her faith had made her whole. This woman had made a decision to believe God by faith and acted on it by stepping into the crowded streets to find Jesus. Through the 12 year trial, her prayers of healing had not manifested but there was a “certain” day (Lk 8:22) when her world changed. She did not give up and get bitter because of delay in her prayer. No, this would be the day God would answer her request of healing, immediately making her whole.

I find it notable that Jesus never admonished her for seeking healing from physicians. His only comment was “Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace (Lk 8:48). Could it be possible that for all those years she waited on God, the failed medical intervention during that time only strengthen her faith to believe God for a miracle? The physicians could not help her but her loving Father could.

Be assured my friend, God is not delaying answering your prayers although they may have been hindered for some unforeseen reason. He knows the right time to make the blessing especially precious for you and to bring glory to His name. Be encouraged! I’ve been thinking about this woman and how she continued to believe God, she is an inspiration to me of persevering faith, she was bold to receive her healing by acting on what she believed.

God desires that we know Him so intimately that we can trust Him for our every need. When we put our confidence in Him we will have the patience we need to wait on Him for an answer, as we have read in the account of the woman with an issue of blood. Oftentimes, we lack patience making snap decisions that we regret later. When we take the time to yield ourselves by waiting on God, He will reveal Himself to us in glorious ways.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 19th, 2009 at 11:56 am and is filed under Devotionals. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.