CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 894

“Decisions”

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. (Psalm 32:8)

Life is a series of decisions. Most are innocuous, what to wear or eat or what movie to watch. Some decisions, however, are life changing and impactful, whom to marry, career and job choices, which medical procedure or treatment to take.

The single most impactful decision we can make in this life is our decision whether or not to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior or to reject God’s plan for salvation and eternal life through His Son. It is our informed decision to accept or reject Jesus – to choose life or damnation for eternity. We are informed because God patiently and lovingly made sure we were fully instructed.

The Lord … is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. (Psalm 25:8)

It is a great comfort to me to reflect how patient God has been and that He instructed and guided me while I was yet a willful sinner living a lifestyle of disobedience to His commandments. If you have yet to decide about Jesus Christ, I encourage you to make that your next decision. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16) A decision to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior will set you on a path of overcoming life as you are born again by the Spirit of God.

The promise of God to His children in our reference Scripture is also a great comfort. There is a ‘peace that surpasses understanding’ that comes from trusting in God’s promise to always instruct, teach, and counsel us while maintaining His watchful eye of protection over us. Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love… (Psalm 33:18)

What life changing, impactful decisions are you faced with today? Being an analytical person I have a tendency to suffer from ‘analysis paralysis’ in that I tend to procrastinate making a decision as I study it and all its potential consequences to death. If life were a chess game my opponent would die of boredom waiting for my next move.

In order to make such critical decisions, I have to quiet my mind and hear the Holy Spirit. Be still, and know that I am God… (Psalm 46:10) I have to be honest with what the Lord reveals to my heart regarding my true motives for making a decision one way over another. Do my motives reveal a lack of trust in God? Am I motivated by impatience? Or greed? Or the need to be self-reliant? Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart. (Proverbs 21:2) Given the instruction of the Lord regarding the motive of my heart, I need to then choose the path that trusts in Him and brings Him glory – even if it seems illogical to my flesh.

May you be guided in Truth by the Holy Spirit in all your life decisions. May every path you take be illuminated by the Light of the Word of God. May the Lord’s watchful eye of protection always be with you as you fully trust in Him. May you continually learn from Him as you rest in the shadow of His abiding presence.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, (Matthew 11:29)