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There are
a hundred voices that come into our ears every single day. People telling us
their opinions, giving us their advice, asking us why, who, where, what, and
questioning the decisions that we make. Yesterday I found myself frustrated by
these voices, these opinions and questions in regards to the decisions I make
for my business. The voice in particular was questioning a decision that I had
made because in their mind it was a bad one and they did not think I had
thought it through very well. Even though they did not exactly speak those
words, the thoughts they were having were clear enough. Their doubt caused me
to doubt and I began to question whether or not I had made the right decision.
The peace I had about the decision now became a tumultuous mess in my heart. I
began to panic a little.
Not
only did I doubt my decision but I doubted whether or not I had truly heard the
Lord’s guiding voice in the matter. What they did not know, and what they
failed to ask me before they began to question me was had I prayed about it? If
they had really understood me and if they took the time to actually listen to
me when I spoke to them about my business, they would have known that I had
prayed about this decision for over a month. I began praying about this
particular situation that came up in the business which was causing me stress
and making me feel very overwhelmed. I began praying to the Lord about it and
asking Him what direction I needed to take. I was asking, seeking and knocking
every time the situation would arise, or I began to stress and worry. And
because my God is always faithful, He gave me an answer.
I was
given the go ahead to make the decision because not only was this going to be a
blessing to me by relieving my burdens, but it was also going to bless the
other person. It was not only an answer to my prayers, but it was also an
answer to the other person’s prayers as well. But, because the person who
questioned me does not fully understand how precious this business and my God
are to me they doubted me and their doubt became a seed planted in my heart.
This seed grew so quickly that this morning I woke up praying and diligently
seeking the Lord if I had heard Him correctly the first time.
“You
shall be careful therefore to do as your God has commanded you.” Deuteronomy
5:32a
The
word careful used in this verse means to observe. It tells us to be thoughtful,
not to walk in haste or make quick decisions. It means that we are to be
watchful and wait patiently for proper directions. Basically it means that we
stop on red until God gives us the green light to go. We don’t race through the
yellow, we come to a complete stop and we wait for Him to give us the go ahead.
We must be careful on our New Adventure’s to think and to pray before we make
decisions that will affect our businesses and our lives. We cannot just dive in
head first and think about the consequences later because not only is this our
lively hood, but our reputation that is on the line, and most importantly, this
is a testimony that we are walking out for the glory of our God. We cannot be
hasty or quick in our decision making because every single decision we make
will affect someone or something, whether in our business or in our personal
lives.
So how
do we become careful, how do we make sure that we are going the right way? We
pray. Jesus told the disciple that we were to pray in secret, (Matthew 6:6) and
that after we have prayed in secret our Father will reward us openly. You are
going to have to face the doubters in your life with patience and prayer. They
will question your decisions and question your abilities to forge ahead on this
path, but you can be confident in all that you do because you prayed. Prayer is
a power that not only unlocks the blessings of heaven, but it also unlocks
peace in our hearts. We can walk in peace no matter the storms because we have
prayed. We can stand up in doubt because we have prayed and God has given us peace
in our decisions. Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 that we are to “pray
without ceasing.” I must admit that this business, this New Adventure, has
improved my prayer life because day after day I am faced with decisions that
put me on my knees before my God.
“You
shall not turn aside to the right hand or the left.” Deuteronomy 5:32b
God
tells us that after we have carefully sought out His direction and His wisdom
we are not to turn aside from them. A few minutes after the person questioned my
decision, I was cast into doubt. Even though I had prayed, (diligently, I might
add) and been given directions and peace about the decision, that little seed
of doubt found its way into my heart. No matter what people say, no matter how
much they question you or freely give you their opinions, you must stick to the
path that God has given you. Do not turn to the right or to the left, stay
straight. Stay focused on the commands of God that are before you- ahead of
you, no turns, just straight.
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The
context of the phrase “turn aside” means to depart from God. If you get caught
up in the seeds of doubt they will carry you away from the will of God. Stay
the course. Do not let other people’s inability to trust God keep you from
trusting Him. Their lack of faith in His power is only a testimony of their
true hearts, not yours. Stay the course.
“You
shall walk in the way the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live
and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that
you shall possess.” Deuteronomy 5:33
One day
God will put to rest all the doubters who crossed your path. This journey is
still ongoing. We are still walking. We are still following after the dream
that God placed in our hearts all those many months ago. As long as we stick to
the path and do not turn to the right or to the left, God will bring us to the
end. And on that day, when we finally come into the land that God has promised
us, all those who doubted and questioned you will be silenced, for they will
finally see the power, the favor and the glory of God in the journey you just
travelled. So, keep on praying. Do not be hasty but pray and seek His will for
every decision and “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will
guard your hearts and your minds in Christ.” (Philippians 4:7) Amen.
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