READY TO DO HIS WILL

 

There is a fascinating contrast in our Lord’s ministry witnessed in John 14. On the one hand, the multitudes are seeking His ministry and He serves them, while later He sends them away and seeks solitude!  From telling the disciples, “They do not need to go away,” we read a short time later that “He sent them away.”

God is limitless, but humans have their limitations. Christ was God Incarnate and able thus to multiply the small supply of loaves and fish to feed thousands, while also needing to withdraw for rest and to hear from His Father. That time of prayer was our Lord’s means of receiving new direction and replenished power for His ministry. In so doing, Jesus shows us how man is meant to live—taking in that we might give out. 

All of us can sympathize with the disciples when they felt their resources inadequate for the demands. They told Jesus to send the masses away. Yet, when we are in the will of God, He will always supply us with what we need to do the work. There is no excuse for laziness in Christian service. When we reach the point of exasperation, we have not necessarily come to the point of exhaustion. Little is much, when God is in it.  You may have a little more gas in the tank when the needle rests on empty.

Yet, there will come a time that the ministry must be set aside that we may be refreshed. Praying alone is not wasting time, but is making the best use of our time. While it is true that sometimes we face a challenging time and know what we need to do, yet refuse to do it for how costly it is—making the excuse, “Let me pray about it.”  That sounds spiritual, but may be cowardice. That was not the case for Jesus. He had reached His limit for the day and now it was time for solitude. 

The key whether immersed in service or isolated in supplication is to be in the will of God. The old hymn stated it:

1 Ready to suffer grief or pain,
Ready to stand the test;
Ready to stay at home and send
Others if He sees best.

Refrain:
Ready to go, ready to stay,
Ready my place to fill;
Ready for service lowly or great,
Ready to do His will.

2 Ready to go, ready to bear,
Ready to watch and pray;
Ready to stand aside and give
Till He shall clear the way. [Refrain]

3 Ready to speak, ready to think,
Ready with heart and mind;
Ready to stand where He sees fit,
Ready His will to find. [Refrain]

4 Ready to speak, ready to warn,
Ready o’er souls to yearn;
Ready in life or ready in death,
Ready for His return. [Refrain] (lyrics by A.C. Palmer)

Jesus would come down from the mountain of prayer and go to His disciples as they were toiling in storm-tossed seas. He was ready. Are you?

FOLLOWING THE SHEPHERD

“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,”. (Ephesians‬ ‭1:17‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

The pastor has been assigned the duty of leading God’s flock. He can only do so effectively as he follows the Lord our Shepherd. The closer he abides in communion with Jesus, the clearer will be his sense of direction for the people. The nearer he walks in fellowship with the Lord, the more he will reflect Christ to the local congregation and community where he serves.

Paul indicates two gifts needful for us to seek in prayer—the wisdom and revelation given to us by the Holy Spirit. Now, these spiritual insights are available to all believers for each has God’s Spirit indwelling them. Yet, our focus in this devotional is that wisdom and revelation are indispensable for Christ’s appointed  shepherds.

We seek PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF GOD’S WORD. That is the Spirit of wisdom. As shepherds it is vital to immerse ourselves in God’s Word, that we may clearly hear the Shepherd’s voice. We are taught by His Spirit what the inspired text means. But, that is only part of what we must share with the flock. We are not only to show them what the verses mean, but tell them what they are to do about it. There is too much “ought to” preaching and not enough,“how to” preaching. Ponder the Proverbs—see how wisdom is applied in every dimension of life. Let us help the flock to gain such wisdom.  What they are fed on Sunday is so they will be led on Monday!

Further, we seek SCRIPTURAL DIRECTION IN GOD’S WILL. This is the Spirit of revelation. Here we must exercise some caution based on context. At the time Paul wrote this, the canon of Scripture had not been completed. Believers had the Old Testament writing, but the compilation of New Testament texts was in formation. This epistle would be part of that. God spoke directly and authoritatively to the Apostles and also through prophets in local churches. Now, since the final and full revelation of Scripture has been given, the way we hear from God is from the text. When the Scriptures speak, God speaks.  

However, the specific indication for a decision requires Scriptural  illumination. A host of issues are vital to a church moving forward in the will of God. So we pray about the choice of leaders, the building of a structure, the priorities of a budget, the addition of ministries, and a myriad of other matters.  There is no specific text for most of these decisions.  Yet, if our minds are grounded in God’s Word, the Spirit can guide us in God’s will. 

As the visible shepherd of a local flock, let us walk so closely with our Good and Great Shepherd that we will lead His sheep into green pastures to feed in and beside deep waters to drink from—as those who will give account for their care.

A LEADER LED

Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, after that the children of Israel would journey; and in the place where the cloud settled, there the children of Israel would pitch their tents. (Numbers 9:17)

Moses was the leader of Israel, but he was a leader led.  He had tried his own ingenuity and ability once before--killing an Egyptian with his own hands--and that had not gone well. The result of that effort was forty years on the backside of a desert, pastoring his father-in-law's flock, until he died to self-will and self-confidence.  Moses had learned his lessons in the school of hard knocks, where the school colors are black and blue.  You are smart to learn from your mistakes, but you are smarter to learn from the mistakes of others.  So, we have within the pages of Scripture these wonderful examples to encourage us, and monumental failures to warn us.

What do we learn here?

The lesson is that if we want to be men of God, leading the people of God, it demands that we be leaders who are led.  God manifested His presence in the cloud that filled the tabernacle and rose above it--a shield from the sun by day, and a fire to light and warm the night.  Besides that, the cloud was their heavenly GPS.  When the cloud moved, they moved.  When the cloud stopped, there they camped.  The Israelis learned patience--to wait on the Lord--until God directed them to go as they stayed in place.

The church has called the pastor to lead them.  That is what shepherds do.  The critical matter is to make sure that we have not dreamed up a direction and are attempting to fulfill that vision according to human wisdom and in the energy of the flesh.  We must be a leader led by the Lord.  We have no cloud above us, but we have the Spirit within us.  He will lead us if we fill our minds with the Word He has inspired, humbly ask God to guide us, take the next step of faith and obedience, consult with godly counselors, and see how circumstances are either aligning or calling for adjustment to the plan.  Always bear in mind that something may be God's will, but is not yet God's time. Doing the wrong thing is never right.  Doing the right thing, the wrong way, is never right.  Doing the right thing, the right way, for the wrong reason, is still not right.  Doing the right thing, the right way, for the right reason, but at the wrong time, is still wrong!  It is when we do the right thing, the right way, for the right reason, and at the right time that it is right!

That is the lesson of the cloud.  The cloud charted the course.  May we, like Moses, be leaders who are led.