Decisions & What if's

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It never ceases to amaze me the things that happen when you least expect it to or when your not looking at all. It makes me wonder sometimes if this is just GOD'S way of showing us HIS sense of humor or if HE is actually testing us to see what move we will make.

Ok, I know GOD never gives anything more than we can handle. After all, HE created us so HE knows very well what were capable of handling. But there are times when I have to step back and ask GOD, "what is it that your trying to teach me here?" Maybe HE is trying to teach me to be more specific in my prayer requests to HIM. We know (or think we know) what it is that we want or need in life, so we talk to the LORD about and make our request known. What we fail to realize is that we have given HIM not a specific petition but one that has a broad spectrum to it concerning what we feel we need. Well, you know as well as I do if we ask for something from someone but don't specify what it is we want, the likely hood of getting exactly what you wanted is pretty wide open. Say I ask my mom to pickup onions at the market. The likely hood of her coming home with white onions versus purple onions which is what I really wanted is going to be a toss up because I wasn't specific in my request to her.

It's the same with our petitions to the LORD. Say we ask HIM to open the door for us to get a job. Well HE can and will do just that. But the job that might be open to us might not be what we were looking for. Instead we need to be specific. Don't just ask for "a job" instead petition for a "good job with good pay, a job with benefits, a job that allows for your growth within the company, etc." If you do that, look out because the LORD is going to bring you 'that' job that you gave specifics for.

The same is true is all facets of our life, not just concerning onions or jobs. I hear friends say things like, "GOD I wish you'd bring me a boy/girl friend or spouse." Well, HE can bring you one but will it be what you truly want? Maybe...then again maybe not. Do you want just any 'ol mate or do you want a person with your same Biblical beliefs, one who shares mutual interests, one who likes to stay home instead of going out partying, etc. You want someone that you have common denominators with, not just a person who you'll get tired of after one or two shallow conversations with. What if your looking for a home? You need to be specific in the home, neighborhood, land, city, etc that you can be. Yes, it's true the LORD knows the desires of our heart but HE also wants us to tell them to HIM.

So let's say we have been specific in our petition and that which we thought was the answer to your prayer manifests. After all, it looks like what we prayed for, it fulfills what we needed, etc. Then a little while down the road you notice something....it makes you begin to wonder....you start thinking "was that really my answer to prayer?" You're beginning to question the old answer because it seems as if the LORD has brought to your path a new answer and this time it looks even closer to what you need. It wasn't that you weren't specific with your original request, it may be an issue that your needs have changed some...or maybe you just weren't fully aware of what your future needs would be. Alas, the LORD knows everything and is always way ahead of us.

But what do you do in case like this? Do you toss aside the old for the new? Do you ignore the new for the old? Or do you hold on to both and hope that you can make the two fit in your life somehow? There is never any right or wrong answer that someone can give you. There isn't an easy "do this" or "do that" answer that . But there is one thing that you can do, and that is pray. Pray long and hard about it. Pray without ceasing until you are sure in your spirit as to what it is that the LORD is directing you to do. Don't go off half cocked & prime making a rash decision without consulting your Heavenly Father. If you do, 'that' is exactly when you'll be most likely to make mistakes that could have been avoided.

What do you do in the meantime while you're waiting for that Word from the LORD? You might be thinking about the "what if's." What if while I'm waiting I miss out on that opportunity? What if...what if...what if.....Don't let the voice of the what if's speak louder than the voice of the LORD. It's not easy to wait, but don't give up hope and faith in the LORD and the promises HE has for you. The answer will come in HIS perfect timing. Just hold fast and cling tight to the LORD.