The Mission and The Operations Order

I, like many of my friends, am approaching decision points.  Do we continue on the same path we're on or do we take another?  Some of us are being forced to decide:  we are at the end of the path and must decide among several others to take.  Others of us are approaching a fork in the road: continue or turn aside?  Reading a friend's blog on the issue led me to publishing one of my own in response...

In Hebrews 11:8-12 and 11:17-19 Abraham is listed among the heroes who lived, "by faith."  Truly, he had great faith that the LORD would provide for him and lead him.  Did he do everything right during that time?  Of course not.  He lied, twice, about Sarah being his wife, because he was afraid that he would be killed.  He also tried to take things into his own hands to produce his heir.  Clearly he was not always being faithful.  And if Abraham, who notably has the longest passages in the "Faith" chapter, can get off the path, surely we can as well.

To put it bluntly, living off the path is bad. 

1 "Woe to the obstinate children,"
       declares the LORD,
       "to those who carry out plans that are not mine,
       forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit,
       heaping sin upon sin;
- Isaiah 30:1

Yet you have to look at the next verse to see why it is so bad.

2 who go down to Egypt
       without consulting me;
       who look for help to Pharaoh's protection,
       to Egypt's shade for refuge.

Those people who look to themselves or other people, instead of looking to God, will find themselves on the wrong path because they did not use His lamp to light the way.  Going to Egypt for safety and protection is not wrong -- God even told Joseph to take Jesus and Mary there to hide out from King Herod.  Going to Egypt for safety and protection in place of going to God is wrong.

So where does that leave us?  God doesn't put everything in the Bible.  It doesn't say which college to attend, which career path to take, which person to marry.  So where does that leave us?    Putting it in military terms: God gives us the mission; we must develop the operation order.  In layman's terms: God gives us the plan; we must take steps to follow the plan.  Of most importance, though, is to always ensure we are still remaining in Him -- because only then can we acknowledge Him.

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
       and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
       and he will make your paths straight. ^[a]

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
       fear the LORD and shun evil.
- Proverbs 3:5-7

Given that we are fearing the Lord, what then are our steps to be?  For that, we can look to Proverbs 16.

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Proverbs 16

1 We can make our own plans,
      but the Lord gives the right answer.

I like what Matthew Henry has to say about this in his Commentary:

"The renewing grace of God alone prepares the heart for every good work.  This teaches us that we are not sufficient of ourselves to think or speak anything wise and good." 

The Bible does not say that we should not make our own plans: rather that our plans alone are not enough.

2 People may be pure in their own eyes,
      but the Lord examines their motives.

Once we have brought ourselves to remaining in Christ and allowing Him to be the one to make our hearts right, then we can effectively plan.  And this only because then our motives will be in line with His plan.

3 Commit your actions to the Lord,
      and your plans will succeed.

4 The Lord has made everything for his own purposes,
      even the wicked for a day of disaster.

We will always have choices to make:  we will either daily humble ourselves or we will be proud.

5 The Lord detests the proud;
      they will surely be punished.

But God (click to see a great devotional on "The 'But God' Gap" from Boundless)

6 Unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin.
      By fearing the Lord, people avoid evil.

Our choice to follow God's plan has its benefits, even when not entirely tangible.

7 When people’s lives please the Lord,
      even their enemies are at peace with them.

8 Better to have little, with godliness,
      than to be rich and dishonest.

Once we have submitted ourselves to the Lord, then our minds will be in the right place to make plans. 

9 We can make our plans,
      but the Lord determines our steps.
- Proverbs 16:1-9 (New Living Translation)

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Well, that's about enough for one post.  Here's a previw to the next one, "Living in the Comma" :

Abraham was 75 years old when he was called to leave his father's house and go to the land that would be shown.  He was 100 when Isaac was born.  That means that he spent roughly 25 years living life between Chapter 12:7 (when Abraham arrived and was promised the land to his descendants)  and Chapter 21 (Isaac's birth).  What was he doing during that time?  He was living out his faith.  Sure, it takes faith to leave all that you know and move.  It takes even more faith to continue to live after you've stepped out and not yet received what was promised.