Proverbs 4:26, “Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established.”
Have you ever really wanted something and then God said ‘no’? One of the hardest pills to swallow is a no from God.
Even when God has said no, do you keep pressing for it because it’s something you really want? Many times, we keep trying, asking, or moving forward because it's something we really want. Maybe we are blinded by our desire, and we don't see the roadblocks God already put in our path.
There are times in my life I can look back on things and see what I kept pressing and asking for that I wanted, or doors I was sure God was opening for me. There were times I did get a yes and times I heard a no. One time that I can recall was the time my husband and I really wanted something we had been working towards for several years. The time came to move forward with our decision. We both felt the Lord leading in the direction of yes. Once all our ducks were in a row we moved forward. It took seven roadblocks before we realized this wasn't going to happen.
Needless to say, I was upset at God as well as satan. After years of things falling in place why would He put me through this now? All my hopes and dreams felt as if they were crushed. I know as Christians were not supposed to blame God but trust His plan, and yes, I had a hard time swallowing the pill of the ‘no’ from God.
After a day or two of tears, frustration, anger, confusion, and the ‘now what’ thoughts. My husband and I picked up the pieces and headed on with a new plan.
Do you think it ended there? I saw the roadblocks and moved on? Yes and no. Yes, we had to make a new plan, but I was stubborn and kept telling the Lord what I wanted next. Finally, after almost two months of going nowhere I finally said, ‘Fine Lord, if you want me to go this way open the door very wide.’ I'm here to tell you. We had three doors to walk through, and both my husband and I immediately knew the Lord was leading fully, when we walked through door one.
Did you catch that? Yes, I was stubborn and only saw one solution. Seven roadblocks weren't enough. When we choose to plow through the roadblocks, God has to pull out the frying pan.
Yes, the frying pan. There was a time, some years ago that, when children were being difficult or not listening to her, that mother would pull out the frying pan and the children would get a wallop on their backsides. There are times we refuse to hear the truth because of what we want. We may miss the roadblocks because we're so wrapped up in our situation or our thoughts and we don't hear God's directions. God may then have to pull out the frying pan to get us back on track.
It's like a parent who tells their child not to touch the hot stove or put something in a plug or not to climb that bookshelf, for the umpteenth time. It's finally the swat across the butt that finally gets their attention. You, of course, don't want to cause your child pain. But you know the little stinging pain is far better than the pain they'd be in if they continued on the path they were on.
But God is very merciful. Before He pulls out the frying pan, He will, at times, let us keep on the path we want and all that accompanies it. We may have to go through some stress, feel anxiety, lose confidence and peace. We may feel we're not smart enough or good enough.
In those moments, we have to remember the enemy is working on us too. After all, he knows the desires of our hearts as much as God does and his goal is to cause as much havoc and unrest as he can, all the while getting us to believe we are doing what's right for us. He goads us into moving forward with our plans full steam. The devil's very clever and can mimic God's voice and tell us what we want to hear it. The ‘me’ mentality, rather than God's will, can lead us into unhealthy and maybe even harmful situations, which is where satan wants us.
So, if you want to avoid the frying pan, you need to learn to confirm that you are really hearing God's voice before stepping out, when roadblocks begin to appear. Probably it would be best to truly hear God's voice even before the roadblocks start.
In all decisions, and all your wants, hopes, and dreams. Simply ask God and keep asking until you hear from Him- Psalm 25:4-5. Don't move forward until you hear from Him and know that what you are wanting aligns with His will over your desires.
Luckily, in my situation this time, it was a light wallop. But for some it could be a wallop that rings bells. I learned, I haven't perfected it, but I've learned. My faith grew, my own and together with my husband, and I have had to trust God's path, listen for His leading, and know no matter what we face or go through, He is there, and He's got this. Choosing to choose to listen to God over pride and desires is difficult, but it beats being walloped by the frying pan.
Life is busy, we get busy and finding time for the Lord isn't always easy. Yet, when we spend a few minutes more each day other than a short read or short devotion can draw us closer to God and help us stay on the right path. If we want to avoid getting walloped we need to be in the scriptures learning to hear God's voice and not be deceived by the world's voices. We have been learning the benefits of having faith in God, now we are going to shift our studies and learn what we should avoid doing while growing our faith.
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