For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord,
And He watches all his paths ~ Proverbs 5:21 NASB.
Seeking God’s perfect will for our lives can be a perplexing experience. When there are several choices, how can we know for certain which one to choose? It’s like coming to forks in the yellow brick road of life, each one appearing to lead to Emerald City.
Remember Dorothy and Toto? They made three friends along the way, but they also encountered witches and flying monkeys. Just when it appeared that Dorothy would become the wicked witch’s prisoner and lose her ruby slippers forever, her fate changed after she doused the witch with a bucket of water. Although Dorothy had no idea it would kill her enemy, it turned out to be the only way to destroy the witch. What dumb luck.
Our lives, however, aren’t based on a fairy tale with a lucky ending like Dorothy’s. But we do have a good God who guides us down the paths of life, directing us away from evil and keeping us on the straight and narrow, even granting us our heart’s desire as we obediently submit to Him.
But how do we know which path to choose when we encounter forks in the road?
My daughter Meg recently experienced this dilemma. After working as a long-term substitute teacher last year, she had applied and interviewed for a science position in the district’s intermediate school. Teaching there had been her heart’s desire from day one.
However, she didn’t throw in the towel after she found out she didn’t get the job. She continued to pray and speak words of faith, confessing that she believed she would still get hired last minute for her dream job at her dream school.
Personally, I viewed her situation with realistic skepticism and pushed her to apply to other districts. I truly believed her vocational opportunities lay elsewhere.
As she prayed for God’s will, several offers came along, making the choice difficult. Should she simply choose the one that paid the best salary in the public arena? Or should she work with like-minded Christians in a private environment? While the Lord uses us wherever we’re planted, it’s still vital to be in the proper place.
All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight,
But the Lord weighs the motives ~ Proverbs 16:2 NASB.
Usually, money is our biggest motivator, but we must remember to weigh all sides. Looking beyond our worldly needs may be difficult and considered foolish by some, but God’s ways are contrary to the ways of the world. Keeping this in mind, Meg chose the job in the Christian school with the lowest salary. She released and surrendered her dream job to the Lord.
But then, God had a better plan. A few days later, she received an email from the new principal at her dream school inviting her to interview for the same science position. Long story short, he offered her the job and she accepted. The Christian school graciously released her and found an immediate replacement for their kindergarteners.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts ~ Isaiah 55:9 KJV.
Meg’s journey of pure-hearted obedience and speaking words of faith have been a good lesson to me. Watching the Lord give her the exact right job for her talents in the right school has been nothing short of amazing. Even when making those previous choices, the Lord knew they weren’t final. God had something far better at the last minute. And He gave her the most precious gift: her heart’s desire.
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! ~ Romans 11:33 NASB.
How about you? Are you encountering forks on your road of life? I’d be honored to pray with you to find God’s perfect will and receive the desire of your heart. Just leave your request in the comment box.
Blessings!
