Let's Make a Deal!

Have you ever felt like God is ignoring you? Have you ever found yourself struggling with a decision or question and you have prayed and sought advice and still cannot seem to get an answer, you still feel like you cannot get any clarity on the issue? What is going on in times like these? Is God ignoring us, is He too busy right now to concern Himself with our issues? Rest assured that He is not ignoring us. He has not turned His back on His children. Listen to the words of David in the book of Psalms:

Psalm 139: - 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. 5 You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

Listen, even those who want to hide from God cannot do it. There are some who would love for God to turn a blind eye toward them, but He will not.

II Chronicles 16: 9 - For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth...

He is well aware of where we are, what we are involved in and our struggle with making certain decisions. So why does it seem like He is not giving us an answer? Well...I don't have a clue! Sorry but I do not know, I wish there was a three step process for getting a response from God but there is not. We have talked at great length in our Tuesday night Bible study about the sovereignty of God and the will of God. We have bounced ideas off of each other, debated both sides of several takes on this and still we do not fully understand how God invokes His will and direction in our lives.

There was an old game show back in the 70's (I was but a wee lad) called "Let's Make a Deal" with Monty Hall. Monty would choose an audience member and offer them several choices. Many times the choices would be hidden behind doors. He would say "Peggy, do you want this $500 dollars I have in my pocket or do you want whats behind Door Number 1, Door Number 2 or Door Number 3?" Peggy would weigh all her options, poll the audience and make her decision. Sometimes the contestant would make a good decision and end up with a new washer and dryer, other times she would make a poor decision and end up with a goat!

With all of that said, there are many times we find ourselves at a crossroads in life, do I accept a new job - Door Number 1, do I keep my current job - Door Number 2 or Do I go back to school and pursue my dream of becoming a ... Door Number 3. The answer is Yes... or No! Whatever decision you or I make, God can still use us and work in the midst of the situation regardless of the choice we made. If we stay in our current job, God can still use us there and be glorified. If we leave and accept a new job, God can use us there and be glorified, even if we go back to school, God can use us there as well.

Paul touched on this in Philippians:

Philippians 1:20-24 - 20I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.

Two decisions, both equally appealing to Paul. Which one should he chose, Door Number 1 or Door Number 2. His goal was to make sure God was glorified in either situation.

Back in Psalm 139 David says you know when I sit and when I rise...you are familiar with all my ways. Notice he does not say you control when I sit and when I rise...you control all my ways. I know we could get really deep here but I will save that for another time. With all that said, if your question is should I choose Door Number 1, Door Number 2 or Door Number 3, the answer is yes! I believe you will find God behind all three doors guiding and using you if you allow Him to.