Without counsel, There are many times I had to make the choice with the most peace and trust God with the consequences. Think of every promise as a precious stone. You know the storyJonah ended up in the sea where he was swallowed by a great fish. There are situations where we make decisions easily and automatically but other situations require time and analysis. Listen for Gods voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; hes the one who will keep you on track. And third, I have lifted up a prayer for producing a Worldwide Christmas Special featuring 2 celebrity co-hosts and 10 international vocal groups for international broadcast. Once he squandered his wealth, he returned home to face his father. That means we make a decision, on average, four times every waking hour, or about once every 15 minutes. Goodbye trials and troubles. In Jobs prayer, he beautifully summarizes why God is the best place for advice: You told me to listen while you spoke and to try to answer your questions. But David had to make three important decisions. While in prayer, praise God for his provision and abundant grace. 10. I have been waiting my whole life. I did not have the emotional resources to launch both at the same time. He did for us what we cannot do for ourselves. For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. This has nothing to do with how much money you do or dont havea poverty-stricken person can covet just as much as a billionaire. (I may have become a little too invested in the process!). He never promised a roadmap; he promised to take our hand and walk with us. He was defeated in the Battle of Salamis and the Battle of Plataea. Have you ever put off a decision you later wished you would have made? Worship Opportunities; Ministers. Thank you for reading and adding your wisdom. We all face major life decisions, and making those decisions are never easy. Message As he began to explain the fancy features of the blue SUV, I became excited too. Some of us love decision-making while others avoid making even the simplest of decisions. Have you ever been in one of those situations where you dont really make a decision but by not making a decision you actually make a decision? Oh, to see the glory of the Lord while in the midst of the disappointments in life. As we read the Bible and immerse ourselves in Gods truth and character, our lives are changedwe become more like Him. You see for yourself whether the meaning is really there. But after further analysis, we realized the car had too much mileage for the price. Second, as a result of Abrahams trust in God, he became a friend of God (Isaiah 41:8). (Ephesians 2:10). It is not always easy but it is the best way to persevere, move forward, and on purpose in our lives. Would You Make The Cut On John Wesley's Preaching Team? The 7 Spiritual Gifts & How to Identify Your Spiritual Gift , How to Learn from Mistakes and 6 Powerful Ways God Redeems Them, 6 Inspiring Strategies on How to Cope with Change and 9 Powerful Bible Verses, How the Bible Can Change Your Life and 4 Powerful Benefits of Reading It, How to Know God Cares for You and 4 Inspiring Bible Stories of His Love, The Story of John the Baptist: 4 Powerful Lessons and Bible Verses, How to Humble Yourself Before God: 4 Beautiful Ways, What God Says about You? Together they flip to Proverbs 16. A tent or a cottage, why should I care? The special will uplift God with carols from these Acappella groups. Even after prayer, Bible study, soul-searching, wise counsel, and diligent thought, you may not have an obvious directive. Joe Carter is a senior writer for The Gospel Coalition, author of The Life and Faith Field Guide for Parents, the editor of the NIV Lifehacks Bible, and coauthor of How to Argue Like Jesus: Learning Persuasion from Historys Greatest Communicator. I. Daniels three friends in Babylon demonstrated integrity when they were threatened with being burned alive (Daniel 3:16-18). God may have other plans., DavidJeremiah.blog is part of the broadcast ministry of David Jeremiah. The King returned home to no wife and so his attendants decided to invent a way to solve his problem. But the constant barrage of choices can be stressful. California is a dry state that needs water to be transported over many miles to population and agricultural centers. Thomas Watson, Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. But that is what forgiving someone meansrestoring relationships to the status they enjoyed before the offense took place. Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin king of Judah. We know decisions are important because each one carries a consequence. People who provide an unbiased perspective. Seven Steps to Making the Best Decision | Open the Bible Consider these verses: No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13). One of our favorite things to do was hoist our bikes up from the Mulberry Tree and then jump our bikes off of the roof. Besides writing and speaking, she teaches Bible Studies and leads small groups. Marine litter is a huge ecological problem. Thats what patience is- Following Gods time. His companion answered, Your dream can mean only one thingGod has given Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite, victory over Midian and all its allies!When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship before theLord.. 2 Peter 1:13-14, NIV. You may go through that whole process of considering what the Bible says, asking God for wisdom, seeking godly counsel, considering your mission and purpose, and it's still a tough call. In fact, there are no instances of Jesus being asked to help or heal and Him answering, I am not willing. There is a place where the Bible says God is not willing, and that is 2 Peter 3:9. Here are 5 steps to take when making those tough decisions PRAY Have a conversation with God. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. While this may appear to be obvious, we may think weve decided an issue when the outcome actually does not meet our long-term specifications or goals. Sometimes we need to wait to make a decision but sometimes I struggle with analysis paralysis. He is committed to caring for us, watching over us, and giving us strength when we are within His will. Jesus said He was going to prepare a place for you if you belong to Him (John 14:1-4). What makes resolutions so compelling is that they provide us with a fresh start, a chance to recommit to taking actions that will improve our lives. Someone said, There are two sides to a sheet of flypaper, and it makes a big difference to the fly which side he chooses. The decisions we make today will determine our tomorrow. read more, Scripture: 6:14). Rarely does making a decision impact only one person. I dont know how to truly hear God and his will for me. Thats just when God appeared to him as he was among the exiles by the Kebar River. Revelation 21:1. Thanks for reading and God bless you! Sermon: How to discern Gods Will? If you find that Scripture does not support an option before you, you know that option is to be discarded. read more, Scripture: do I make the desicions or God? was this God or my imagination? is this the devil or is it from God? does God want me to overcome my fears and jump or should I be warned? yes or no? give me a sign Its overwhelming.. Pingback: How to Learn from Mistakes and 6 Powerful Ways God Redeems Them, Pingback: 6 Inspiring Strategies on How to Cope with Change and 9 Powerful Bible Verses, Pingback: How the Bible Can Change Your Life and 4 Powerful Benefits of Reading It, Pingback: How to Know God Cares for You and 4 Inspiring Bible Stories of His Love, Your email address will not be published. Someone had used a knife to cut a hole in the middle of the book. Do you pray about your decisions? Scripture is a powerful way God speaks to us. We can imagine a child writing an appreciative and sentimental memoir about her perfect father, understanding that perfect was not intended to be taken literally. How are you trusting God in making decisions? They will become your lifestyle tomorrow." Each day we face choices regarding our walk with God. When you have a tough decision to make, do you normally: A) Seek advice from others, B) Seek the wisdom of God, or. How to Make Good Decisions According to the Bible But boundaries are important when trusting God in making decisions for everyone involved. In the Bible God has clearly expressed his will concerning many real-life matters. A leper approached Jesus and said, If You are willing, You can make me clean. Jesus touched the man, saying, I am willing; be cleansedand he was healed (Mark 1:40-42). In such a case we would not only fail to meet the specification for a decision, but we would also be making the decision about marriage more difficult in the future. What are your personal desires? King Xerxes returned home in shame. But with Jonah, the second time was because Jonah had failed to speak Gods word the first time. Trusting God in making decisions always leads to the best outcome. May you continue to trust God with your decisions, and I pray you find direction and clarity in His wisdom. . What is Look at the Book? 2 Peter 2:7-9, Denomination: Someone said, Deprive yourself of sleep before making the decision. I. In his vision of the future, the apostle John saw that new heaven and a new earth, our new domain being pictured as the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God (Revelation 21:1-2). When you surrender your decision-making process to God; God will guide and direct you in your decision-making process. Toward that end, I request you use your full name when commenting. He decided to be obedient and trust God that 300 men were enough to achieve victory against an extremely powerful Midianite army. God gave us our minds. We might think that, if Jesus was truly divine, He would have had no need to pray for knowledge, guidance, or help. Let thy hope of heaven master thy fear of death. 2. Are there specific obligations, such as to your spouse or children, that would affect the decision? Find Make Better Decision Sermons and Illustrations. How David trusted God in making decisions: Early in the morning, David left the flock in the care of a shepherd, loaded up, and set out, as Jesse had directed., David said to Saul, Let no one lose hearton account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him., I cannot go in these, he said to Saul, because I am not used to them. So he took them off.Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherds bag, and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.. And it also happened to Jonah: The word of the Lord came to Jonah the first time (Jonah 1:1) and then the second time (Jonah 3:1). Is there specific data, such as the pros and cons, you need to consider? 4. Commit to seeking Gods will Commit to seeking Gods will by praying he will guide you through each step of the decision-making process, search the Bible for relevant commands and principles, and obey all he asks you to do. In the Bible God has clearly expressed his will concerning many real-life matters. Luke 6:12. (Proverbs 15:22). William Gurnall, Now it came to pass in those days that [Jesus] went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. If any request is not glorifying to the Father, then it is not worthy of being asked for in the name of Christ and should be avoided. Thomas Watson, Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Almost three years and two kids later, our ridiculously affordable, amazingly proficient, godly in-home nanny was led to a different job. As your trust grows in who God says He is, what He can do, and who God says you are, you learn to release the grip on the unknowns that surround decision-making. Is there a clear command about what should be done? There are many scriptures for making decisions that you can meditate on especially if you dont have clarity making a decision. It was the hardest decision of my life. With me I tend to fall between either instant decisions through prayer of discernment and what feels right and peaceful or with longer decisions, where I wait on God for more time and confirmation before I make a final decision, so Im not leaning on my own understanding. Define the problem Once we determine whether the problem is unique or generic we then need to drill down and define it clearly. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. Because we are the sum total of our decisions. But we frequently need to make decisions that are substantive, and that may have a profound effect on our lives or the lives of others. This the first time in my life I have had difficulties to make decision. We could almost afford to live on either of our salaries alone. People look at the outside of a person, but the Lord looks at the heart. He also serves as an associate pastor at McLean Bible Church in Arlington, Virginia. He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. Said another way, God is willing for any who want to be saved to come to Him (John 6:37; 7:37). How to Make Tough Decisions | Everyday Answers - Joyce Meyer If the command is clear our decision is also clear: we must obey God. Whatever decision you ultimately make, know that God will walk beside you either way. The Persian Army was much larger than the Greek Army; but they were defeated and humiliated by the Greeks. Trusting God in making decisions can be difficult because we naturally want to maintain control. Some of those decisions seem relatively insignificantlike what to eat or how to cut our hair. Eventually, we found a much better match. If you are striving to obey God, trusting in him, and seeking his will, then youll be developing the values and worldview that will help your long-term decision-making be rooted in wisdom and courage. Does God care about every decision you make? It was not uncommon in the Old Testament for the word of the Lord to come to Gods prophets again and again. 52-week preaching calendar to help you plan your sermons, Customizable sermon manuscripts for verse-by-verse preaching, Preach with creativity and impact throughout the year, Help your church understand God's plan in pain, Call your people to experience a higher freedom, Proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth, Decisions (Part 1) Although Gideon sought Gods guidance and prompting for each step and obeyed the call, he probably did many things afraid. At this point only obedience is required. 8 Tips to Make Wiser Decisions | Psych Central True, the grass withers and the wildflowers fade, but our Gods Word stands firm and forever.. The hardest part of forgiving another person isacting like the offense never occurred. 1 Kings 18:21, Denomination: To think our temptation is unique is to believe a lie. They will attempt to help you make the right decision. "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! Some of my motivations were suspect. Sometimes our prayers are not answered, because they conflict with the word of God and the other factors. Both Romans and Hebrews tell us that, while we were in our sin, it was impossible for us to do anything to please God. Ezekiel is the prophet of the glory of the Lord. The Lord, in his goodness, has given us decisions to make in our daily lives. Luke 19:10, Denomination: Elijah calls God's people to choose once and for all between the living God who delivered them, and this false god who has captured their affections: "'How long will you waver between two opinions? They told the king they would not divide their allegiance, that they would maintain their faith in God and His promises. Earlier this year, a volunteer for a charity in Arizona was going through books donated for a sale. 12. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. When seeking advice, it is important to get counsel from the right people. conflict; those who take advice are wise (Proverbs 13:10, NLT). http://www.nec.org.au/john-and-the-passion/ I talked to my Bible study about concerns with that sort of life change. Sermons about Decision Making - SermonCentral.com Running, Rebelling, Ignoringbad Decisions--How Do We Handle Them? For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. Arris, Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts! God does not see the same way people see. These were huge decisions for a young boy to make but each decision serves as a model for us when we are trusting God in making decisions. The Bible is the primary way in which God speaks to us. God gave him a message and told Jonah to deliver it to Ninevah. Genesis 1:28. Every door that God opens is confusing or I ask myself if its really from God. Fish become entangled in discarded fishing nets and lines, with bellies full of plastic debris they have swallowed. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. To save items to a SermonFolder, please sign in to your account. When his thirtieth birthday came, he must have struggled with questions of why and if only.. and for not quite a year we had been pastoring a Salvation Army church in *You Joshua 24:15, Denomination: Sometimes, it's as simple as choosing which shoes to wear to work. Priority and urgency are not the same. C. S. Lewis, For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Not make your decision based on outward appearances. The apostle Paul addressed that question in 1 Corinthians 10:11"Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition." Godly counselors will not try to force you into a decision against your will. Esther 2:10-11, Esther 2:12-19, Esther 2:1-23, Esther 2:1-4, Esther 2:20-23, Esther 2:5-9, Sermon Topics: One of our favorite things to do was hoist our bikes up from the Mulberry Tree and then jump our bikes off of the roof. Intro: The prophet Joel described life as a valley of decision, (Joel 3:14) Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! Hello golden streets, glorified bodies, endless days, and the fresh air of New Jerusalem! Though mankind was given the mandate to have dominion over (that is, to care for) all of creation, we have not done a good job. Pauls letter to the people at Corinth was an exhortation to remain steadfast. He was accused of blaspheming by saying He had the authority to forgive sinssomething only God can do. This is why we should Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Convert the decision into action Now that youve made your decision, what actions will you need to take? When confronted with a choice, never default by saying; "It doesn't matter." Make a decision; make the choice between grits or hash browns, coffee or tea, etc. However, most of the pain in our lives is self-inflicted by the decisions that we make, even the decisions that we make in responding to evil that is visited upon us. Once it seemed as if I were the best choice to stay home with the kids, we began seeking counsel. We must always guard against the sin that resides in our flesh and against which we still struggle. You can learn that trusting God in making decisions is far superior to decisions fueled by emotion and random sources. Gideon then crossed the Jordan River with his 300 men, and though exhausted, they continued to chase the enemy.. Blessings! Trusting God redeems mistakes will encourage you and others to live out in faith and not in fear. The personal manager had advertised a job opening, and a large group of applicants was waiting in her waiting room. Christian/Church Of Christ, Decisions (Part 4) Asking God and others for guidance can trump the power fear has over you and help you trust God in making decisions. When your prayers are informed, your decisions become more result-oriented. But he did manifest some qualities that every father should emulate. The old proverb Look before you leap is appropriate here. Richard Sibbes, Standing in the middle of the road is very dangerous; you get knocked down by the traffic from both sides., Dont make snap decisions. Isnt that how it is for us too? With the other prophets, the second time meant additional prophetic utterances they were to deliver. But if we feel unease, dont have a clear direction, and can wait to decide, it may be the best way to trust God in making decisions. The Bible is filled with stories of people for us to learn from. You wont always have a clear path or know where the decision will lead. Make sure Christ is at the center of your life and that your love for Him eclipses everything else! You can listen to the full message here:- read more, Scripture: