Psalm 106:15
“So he gave them what they asked for,
but sent a wasting disease upon them.”
Frank Sinatra sang, “The record shows, I took the blows and did it my way.” Sometimes God will let us do things our way, and then let us deal with the consequences. When we insist on having or getting or doing something that He in His wisdom has withheld from us, it’s like God says “Okay, I warned you, but have it your way.”
The Bible says that because the Children of Israel:
1. ”forgot His works,
2. did not wait for His counsel,
3. lusted exceedingly,
4. tested God . . .
He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul” (Psalm 106:13-15).
That is the formula for spiritual barrenness.
When God called Moses to deliver the children of Israel, Moses tried to do it his way at first. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave, but instead of consulting God, he took matters into his own hands by killing the Egyptian abuser. Before he did, the Bible tells us that he “looked this way and then that . . . ” (Exodus 2:12) – but he never looked to God. He was more concerned about audience response than God response.
God had to teach Moses that his orders came from God. After Moses dug a hole and tried to hide his deed, God allowed it to be exposed. Why? To show Moses that by doing things his own way, he couldn’t even keep a single soldier buried in the sand.
The subject of following God’s will and plans for your life is a slippery slope. How do you know, and how can you be certain. This is not something I (or anyone else besides God) can tell you. This information must come from God, and it becomes known when you are abiding in God’s word and maintaining a close relationship with the One who loves you so much. Make up your mind to live your life God’s way. We an’t just pretend to be Christians. We must be obedient to God, we must read the Bible and actually live out what it says.
Related Text:
James 1:19-25
