Out of Order Questions / Ms Cherith Henderson

Ms Cherith Henderson

Student at Golden State Baptist College

Pianist

Harvest Baptist Church

Manhattan, KS

OUT-OF-ORDER QUESTIONS 

When waiting on God’s will, our questions often sound like this—what do you want me to do, where do you want me to do it, when, and why. Our tendencies are to act like we need all the answers right now, laid out in front of us, with all the problems that we will face conveniently listed in alphabetical order. Sound familiar? Recently, I found myself asking God these same questions in a specific situation in my life. Like He always does, the Lord gave me the answers I was searching for in a study I started in Isaiah.

Here are the verses God gave me—Isaiah 30:20-21

20 - And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:

21 - And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

After reading verse 21, God showed me that the questions were not necessarily wrong, but the order of them was important to finding His answer! The Holy Spirit leads the believer in three steps.

1) He Compels Them – “This is the way…”

2) He Commands Them—“…walk ye in it…”

3) He Clarifies Their Steps—“…when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left…”

We cannot follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in our lives if we are first not sensitive to hear His still, small voice. Like in I Kings 19, Elijah did not hear God in the loud wind, the earthquake, or the fire; but in the still, small voice. Like in Isaiah, God compelled and commanded Elijah to go then clarified his way.

The Compelling To Go: God led Elijah through the wilderness. What could that wilderness be in my life? Hardships in family or church relationships? Discouragement? Sickness? Sometimes the wilderness has hardships that God placed there to make us stronger. We may not necessarily like the way God has chosen, but we must be willing to walk in it.

The Command to Follow: Each person has a purpose in their life. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” God always has a specific plan for YOU that only you can fulfill! There was a reason for that wilderness you just went through. This is where we have to trust God. Elijah’s purpose was to prepare Elisha for the next generation. What is your task? What has God commanded you to do?

The Details: Often God asks (or tells) us to do something without immediately giving us all the answers. Here in I Kings 19:15-16, God told Elijah exactly who to anoint, but not exactly where. Later in that passage, the Bible says Elijah “found” Elisha—meaning he had to search for him. Elijah had to be sensitive to the voice of the Lord to fulfill God’s will for his life. Once we are sensitive to the voice of the Lord, then He will lead us to His exact and perfect will for our lives.

Both passages end with reminders of God’s goodness to His children. Isaiah 30 ends with the power and glory of the Lord and I Kings 19 ends with a reminder that there are other Christians who are with you! Once we surrender to His will, we can be ushered into a His glory and have His power on our lives. What a loving God we have that He would give us others for encouragement along the way!

God is just too good not to trust His leading in our lives. We must remember to listen to that still, small voice and follow the Holy Spirit’s direction in all things.