But God Said . . .

 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 

Luke 12:20 (NIV)

    As I  walked in the door of my 5-year-old grandson Jude’s school, I saw him in line with his class, getting ready to go to the cafeteria. As he looked my way, I smiled, waved, and motioned for him to come over to me. It seemed like a simple request: I just wanted Jude to step out of line for a second and hug me but he shook his head “no” every time I motioned. So I waved instead and he and his class moved on. Later that evening, when I reassured Jude that it was okay to leave his place in line and hug me he replied “But my teacher said . . .” 

     It immediately occurred to me that Jude was simply following the directions of the one in charge - his teacher. She had told them to stay in line and that’s exactly what he did. What I asked him to do - leave the line and hug me - was not bad, but it was the opposite of what his teacher had instructed. 

    I also realized that the very thing I was asking my grandson to do is what we often do to God. He directs and guides us; we redirect and guide ourselves.  God never tells us no or leads us in another direction in life because He is a mean Father who wants to dominate us and control our every choice. We have free will to do what we want, but we are not free from the consequences of those choices. Jude knew he could have left the line, hugged me, and gotten back in line. But, even at his age, he knew there would be consequences for disobeying his teacher. It could be staying inside at recess or standing on the line while others played. 

   In the Bible, every time we read “But God said . . .”  there was a situation in which men were making choices on what they wanted rather than seeking God’s will in the decisions they were making. For example, Luke 12:20 addresses a rich man who decided to build bigger barns for all his grain. He had a huge harvest which isn't a sin at all. However, his focus was on keeping all the grain for himself rather than sharing it with those in need. “But God said to him “You fool!’”

    What major decisions are you facing today? Perhaps it is a career change or retirement. It could be getting engaged or married, or having children. What about deciding on a college or a job after high school?  Or maybe you are thinking about the next step after the loss of a spouse. 

    Consider trying this for a week: when you are faced with an important situation and you are trying to decide what to do, include God. Go to the Bible. Search for His Truth. Then speak this aloud: “I want to (fill in the blank) But God said (fill in the Scripture). If you follow His wisdom, you will never have to look back and think “I wish I had based my decision - not on what I thought - but on what God said. 

    Father, thank you for always wanting what is best for us, your children. Guide and direct us as we make decisions in our lives. In Jesus’s Name. Amen. 

 R.A.P. it up . . .  

Reflect

• There are important decisions that you make every day.

• Are you deciding what to do based on your opinion or God’s guidance?

 Apply

• Journal decisions that you need to make for one week.

• Lift each one to the Lord and ask Him to direct you. 

Power

• Luke 12:20 (NIV) “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’”

• Numbers 22:12 (NIV) “But God said to Balaam, ‘Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.”

• I Chronicles 28:3 (NIV) “But God said to me “You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.’”