OK, so the title is a knock off (pun
intended) of a Guns n Roses song from the late 80’s that I remember from my high
school days. Actually, I learned while
typing this essay that the song goes back to Bob Dylan, but I digress. I’ve been really focusing, almost meditating
on some scriptures the past few months while trying to determine God’s purpose
for my life, and the direction I need to take.
These verses include some favorites.
“For I know the
plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and
not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11
“Ask and it
will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened
to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who
knocks, the door will be opened.” – Matthew 7:7-8
“I tell you the truth, anyone has faith in me will do what
I have been doing. He will do even
greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do
whatever you ask in my name, so that the son may bring glory to the
Father. You may ask for anything in my
name, and I will do it. If you love me, you will obey what I command” – John
14:12-15
As I said, I have been praying for months for guidance,
and not really hearing anything from God other than to walk the path. I was beginning to wonder what the heck was
going on. I was driving home in a snowstorm talking to God asking him what the
heck he was trying to teach and exactly what I was supposed to learn. Then I read Daniel and had an ”Oh Crap” moment. To quote Pastor Mark Sterlace,
“Daniel was moved by what motivated God; he was moved by
what was on the heart of God. His desires
became God’s desires, and he desired to see a great move of God in his nation.
So he began to cry out to God the desires of God.”
Was I focusing on the desires of God? Was I making his
desires my own? Was the reason I wasn’t seeing the fulfillment of Matthew 7:7-8
and John 14:12-15 because the prayers I was praying didn’t help Jesus to bring
glory to the Father?
A few weeks later I was at another bible study and we
read Proverbs 16:9 “In his heart man plans his course, but the Lord
determines his steps.” In other
words, plan ahead, yet submit to the will of God. I am always amazed by the power in the book
of Proverbs.
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