Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11: 28-30 KJV

Unexpected things happen.  A series of events can unfold in a way that tells you your prayers have been answered.  In fact, things are happening exactly as you prayed it.  How can you deny that it is God working to answer your heartfelt prayer?   That door finally opens and you walk right in.  It was as if there were no effort on your part.  

Out of nowhere, something happens that completely shuts the door you just walked through.  There you are, off-center, and confused.  Did you really hear from God?  Would God play tricks on you, like that?  How can you sort this out?  You go through various stages of grief and confusion.  After the smoke settles, you

First off, God is not the author of confusion (I Cor. 14:33).

As you recover from the shock, and let your body rest, and your mind get back on track, you may begin to detect a pattern that will reveal the answer to your questions.   Go back to what you last remember.  What was it that God told you to do before you got all caught up in that circumstance that set you back.

For example, I know that I know that I am to write something every day.  I have no clue why, except that I love to write, and it is what I have been told to do.  If you have read my previous blogs, you will recall the story behind why this is so.   Taking this example further, lets say that my need for a real income overwhelms me to the point that I grab just any old job that comes along.  All I really know is, I am supposed to write.  I am supposed to pray and study the Bible every day with my wife.  I am to seek the Lord with all my heart.  But my panic at losing my car, or the internet connections (No connection, no blog), losing our home, takes over and I pray fervently that a job opens up for me.  And I get that job.

Lets go further.  What if, after I start that job, I discover that the physical demands are far beyond my body’s ability to do that job.  That the consequences of this is that something fairly serious happens to my body that means I cannot return to that job.  What happened?  This is what I ask.

What did I know before I begged God for that particular job?  I was to write, and God would honor my efforts, and when it was time, I will have the job that God has been preparing me for.  Did God, then, let me have my own way?  Did I take my eyes off what I was told and take matters in my own hands?  If the end result of that event show you that your relationship with Him was interrupted, that your obedience was put on a back shelf, and the joy has left your heart.  And God forbid, that even your body is carrying the wounds of your decision, then you probably got exactly what you asked for.  Your will over what God has shown you is His will for you.

If this describes you.  Be still.  Ask God for understanding.  Go back to the place where the communion and blessings ended.  Repent for trying to run ahead of God.  He loves you.  He will restore you.  He will heal your heart.

As a Daddy, sometimes I have to just let my daughter have things exactly the way she wants it in order for her to see that what she asked for wasn’t what she genuinely needed.

God disciplines the ones he loves.  But He is never cruel, and does not let you drown in your guilt.  He also does not play the role of the accuser.  Sometimes He will let you have it your way.  Sometimes it is the only way you will learn.

There really is no better way than to trust and obey.  If you are genuinely called of God to serve Christ, keep your feet nailed to what you were told to do, and don’t run ahead of the will of God.

I love you,

David G. Perkins