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Pointers along the way #463

Launch out into the unknown
- Jacob Ninan

When God called Abram to leave his father's family and follow Him, He just said that He would lead him to the place He had chosen (Ge.12:1). Abram had no idea where this would be, but he trusted enough in God to leave that in His hands and to follow Him still. When we start our spiritual life with God, we too don't know what lies ahead. But if we aren't willing to place our future--our life--into God's hands, we really don't trust Him. We may agree with many things God says, believe in the gospel and accept Jesus as our Saviour--to ensure our place in heaven. But if we aren't willing to hand over our entire life into God's hands, letting Him choose the destination and the paths, we don't really trust Him.

Each of us is to be a living sacrifice for God (Ro.12:1). This means that it is not a one time commitment we make in our life. We certainly need to start with that commitment, and from then onwards every day we are to be sacrifices for God--where we sacrifice our desires, pleasures, ambitions and plans in order to accomplish God's will for us. It is from this sacrifice that a fragrant aroma will rise up and bless the others around us. Many Christians have got it wrong here. They use the latest techniques to make a plan for serving God, and then they ask God to bless that plan. Instead of finding out God's plan for their life and fulfilling it, they are trying to go in their own human understanding.

Some of you may have never actually handed over your entire life to God for Him to own and lead. It doesn't matter if you are trying to live a good life before God and contributing in cash or kind towards serving God and people. Perhaps you have believed the lie of the Devil and thought that if you followed God's plan you might lose out on life. Young people fear that God might give them an ugly person in marriage and take them to a remote place to suffer. But God plans are always for our very best (Je.29:11), and people who have trusted Him have experienced it. In eternity there won't be any man who can say that he trusted in God and was put to shame (Ps.25:3).

Perhaps you are an older person who has so far led a mediocre Christian life doing all the right things but never experiencing closeness with God. Perhaps what is lacking is that you have never fully trusted God with your life.

Some of you may have made some commitment like this earlier, but the cares of life may have taken you off the path of God. Now you are feeling guilty and ashamed of yourself and have given up hope of any better life from God. But if the prodigal son had a chance, so do you if you would go back to God in the same way.

Have we made the mistake of thinking that we trust in God to give us what we need, but hesitating to be entirely available to God to be led by Him?

We are not talking necessarily about resigning our job and serving God full time. But all of us can serve Him full time in every place if we are yielded to Him.

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