Finding God’s Direction - 5

Finding God’s Direction - 5

Subject: Finding God’s Divine Direction in Our Lives

By Rick Welborne

Proverbs 3:1-10 (NKJV)
¹  My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands;
²  For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you.
³  Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart,
⁴  And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man.
⁵  Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
⁶  In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
⁷  Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
⁸  It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.
⁹  Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
¹⁰  So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine. 

--Last week:

1. God’s navigational tool…wisdom.

2. God’s beautiful gift…seeing into the future. 

3. Seek God’s wisdom for each situation.

Tonight:

1. Stick It Out!

--Many years ago I was speaking at a men’s gathering at Trinity Assembly of God…I had been made aware that there was a gentleman who was there who had just celebrated 65 years of marriage with his wife.

--Your secret? It took him quite a while to stand and balance himself. “All of us younger guys need to hear your wisdom and secret to a good marriage.” Just keep your big mouth shut! Don’t give up!

Luke 18:1-8 (NLT2)
¹  One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.
²  “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people.
³  A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’
⁴  The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, 

⁵  but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”
⁶  Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge.
⁷  Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?
⁸  I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?” 

--Jesus tells us this widow kept coming to this judge repeatedly…she had the tenacity not to take “no” for an answer. Some theology says just ask once but I believe this story tells us differently.

--The original language in Mat. 7, not only tells us to ask, but it tells us to keep asking, not to only knock but to keep knocking, not to just seek but it tells us to keep seeking.

--Well, I asked them to forgive me one time…I believe Jesus may want you to ask for forgiveness and keep on asking until you are forgiven. Sometimes they do not know if you are sincere the first time.

--If an unjust judge will give justice to a poor widow who cries out non-stop…how much more will our heavenly Father grant you justice quickly…Stick it out!

--When I had just turned 18 and could work at International Paper Company, I went in and filled out an application…Thanks for your application but we have no openings. I said thanks!

--The next day I went back and told them I wanted a job…we just told you yesterday that we have no openings at this present time. You never know when someone may quit…I want a job!

--I went the next day, and the next, and the next. I went back the following week and did the same thing! Same answer. You do not have to come every day…we will call you! Thanks, I’ll see you tomorrow.

--After a couple of weeks I went back and did the same thing…this time a supervisor came out of his office because he had been watching every day. How many know I am loud…I knew he was watching.

--How many of you know that Jesus is watching and listening? The supervisor invited me into his office. Rick, you just will not take no for an answer will you. Nope, sir! I need a good job!

--Similar to the unjust judge, he said I am going to give you a job (even though we do not have one) so you will leave us alone here in the office. How long would you have kept this up? As long as it took! 

--What are you going through…tough marriage, rebellious kids, sinking finances, family disruption, dryness in your spirit…Stick it out! Hang in there! Don’t quit! Don’t give up! Your King is coming!

Hebrews 10:35-39 (NKJV)
³⁵  Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.
³⁶  For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:
³⁷  "For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.
³⁸  Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him."
³⁹  But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul. 

2. Stay the Course!

--Many of you were so sure that God had ordered your steps years ago, you were so sure God told you to do what you started doing, and no one could convince you differently.

--No one could persuade you that you were not doing God’s will. Now you are so unsure of yourself and now you are trying to accomplish what God told you to do in your own strength.

Galatians 3:1-7 (NLT2) ¹ Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross.
²  Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. 

³  How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?
⁴  Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it?
⁵  I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.
⁶  In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”
⁷  The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God. 

--Stay the course! Keep trusting God! Don’t try to fix what is messed up in your own strength! If you started in the Spirit, then, determine to finish in Him. Jesus sent Him so you could stay the course!

3. Seek Selfless Sacrifice!

--There is a story in the Old Testament about a lady named Ruth…there is so much tragedy in this family!

--A lady by the name of Naomi loses her husband and it happens during a famine. Her two sons marry Moabite women, Oprah and Ruth. Ten years later the two sons also die. All 3 widows.

--During that time, widows without children were pretty much without hope or opportunity. Society was not set up for women to work. If the husband died, their children assumed the position of caregivers. 

--Because of the system, Naomi’s only option was to become a beggar, a position that was considered even lower than a slave. Knowing her situation, she encourages Oprah and Ruth to return to their homes.

Ruth 1:8-9 (NLT2)
⁸  But on the way, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back to your mothers’ homes. And may the LORD reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me.
⁹  May the LORD bless you with the security of another marriage.” Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept.

--Oprah realized that Naomi was right and made the decision to go back to her family. Ruth saw things differently…she chose to stay with her mother-in-law though her future was uncertain.

Ruth 1:16-18 (NLT2)
¹⁶  But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.

¹⁷  Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!”
¹⁸  When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more.

--This decision, this path that Ruth chooses is serious business…we are family and we are committed to each other no matter what. Catch this…even your God will be my God…only death can separate us…loyalty!

--She is choosing to be a beggar right alongside of Naomi and she is choosing selfless sacrifice to take care of this lady who is not even her own mom. She had grown to love Naomi…even more, her God!

--Ruth goes to work the fields…gleaning what she could behind those harvesting the crops…Boaz (the owner of the field) sees her and has compassion for her…He blessed her and protected her…ever wonder why?

Ruth 2:11-12 (NLT2)
¹¹  “Yes, I know,” Boaz replied. “But I also know about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers.
¹²  May the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.”

--He had heard of her selfless sacrifice to care for Naomi…he heard Ruth’s story and saw the path she had chosen and his heart was touched. Boaz is a type of Jesus in the Old Testament. Boaz and Ruth marry.

--You can trace Jesus’s lineage all the way back to Ruth… a person who chose to take the most unlikely path to seek selfless sacrifice. She was greatly rewarded!