January 8 2011
A Change of Direction
Proverbs 1:5
When God called me to the ministry … I was a “green-horn” (a person new or inexperienced to an activity) and I had a lot to be taught and learn. Here’s a personal note … “Just because you’ve been taught doesn’t mean you learned it.”
In the process of my call I decided the direction I would go … Youth Ministry. I aimed at in my school studies, and even gained a part-time youth position at B.H. Carroll BC in Fort Worth, Texas while in seminary. It was a frustrating year of my life … and here’s why … It wasn’t God’s DIRECTION.
I am convinced that God will let us go our own direction. He lets us go our own way … until we come to the realization there has to be a better way, a different direction we should be going.
It was at that point, lacking direction, I went before the Lord on humbled knees (because guys don’t like to ask for direction) and said “Whatever YOU want me to do I will do.” And in a clear directional moment God placed on my heart … “Preach My Word.”
Knowing the direction doesn’t make it EASY but it does makes is CLEAR!
Maybe you find yourself trying to DIRECT your own life and you find you need a change of directions or just trying to figure out which direction to go.
Maybe it’s your health or finances, or relationships … that you need a change of directions in. Because the way you’re going now just isn’t getting you where you want to go.
Isn’t it amazing how we tend to believe we can keep going in the same direction that we’re going and get where we want to be in life? It’s like saying … I want to be out of debt … but I just keep spending, buying and creating more debt. Silly isn’t it?
And here is the kicker … we do it with GOOD INTENTIONS. But here is the reality … Good Intentions don’t always take us in the direction we need to be going.
My Mother use to say to our “good intentions” even though we were wrong … “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”
Proverbs 27:12 NLT A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.
And we all know that is not the direction we want be going … so CHANGE DIRECTIONS!
Here’s what God’s Word says to do to gain a new or changed direction …
Proverbs 1:5 GW a wise person will listen and continue to learn, and an understanding person will gain direction-
I love God’s simplicity (see vs 1-4) … if you want to be a person of insight (respond to the present) pay attention! If you want to be a person of foresight (predict and prepare for the future) learn! And through understanding we gain direction! Unfortunately a lot of the time we work off hindsight (reflect & learn from past) … which is good but not the best “sight” to have.
Here’s the point …
DIRECTION DETERMINES DESTINATION
God with great simplicity says … LISTEN to Me, LEARN from Me, UNDERSTAND My Word … for direction.
Take for instance …
Jeremiah 10:23 ESV I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.
God’s Word is pretty clear! QUIT DIRECTING YOUR OWN LIFE!
We’re told to LISTEN-LEARN-UNDERSTAND … but man has his own mechanics to determine his direction … intuition, gut feelings, hunches, maps, GPS etc … and rather than direct they misdirect.
Misdirection is the wrong direction and the wrong direction doesn’t get one to the desired destination. Why?
DIRECTION DETERMINES DESTINATION
God has a DIRECTIONAL PATH for each of our lives from the generic to the specific. But it’s not up for speculation. So God says … LISTEN-LEARN-UNDERSTAND what I am telling you.
And know this we never become independent from such directional exercising! Never! Even when we discover God’s direction we never quit LISTEN-LEARN-UNDERSTAND.
Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
We don’t need to over complicate God’s direction … we need to SIMPLIFY BY SIMPLY letting go and grabbing hold of God and His Word.
Will we eradicate disappointments, discomforts, discouragement from our lives? No we won’t because this life is difficult and hard. But in such trying times we don’t disconnect from reality but we stay connected.
- Old Testament it says … Call to Me (Jeremiah 33:3)
- New Testament it says … Come to me (learn from me; Mt 11:28)
Listen … this is not a “RA-RA” or a “You-Can-Do-It!” message. No, it’s wise – good counsel and with it you need to … LISTEN-LEARN-UNDERSTAND
Why?
DIRECTION DETERMINES DESTINATION
Proverbs 1:5 GW a wise person will listen and continue to learn, and an understanding person will gain direction-
Amen!
