SCRIPTURE
“He inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him by dreams, or Urim, or Prophets.” 1 Samuel 28:6
SPOTLIGHT
Whenever you are making decisions, if you don’t ask the right questions, you are not going to get the helpful answers you need. If someone asks himself, “Do I need to clean myself up?” he may assess the situation, and decide he doesn’t need to, because he may be tired, or think it is a waste of time. However, if he asks the better question,“What is the value of personal hygiene?” he will wisely choose to wash his hands, bathe, brush his teeth, etc., in order to keep free of bacteria, viruses and illnesses.
In 1 Samuel 28:6, King Saul asked God a question regarding his need for Godly protection. It was as if he asked, “Will You protect me and my army from the Philistines?” This was the wrong question! Samuel, the prophet, before dying, had told Saul he was not living a life that was pleasing to God. The right question would have been, “Lord God, what is Your will for my life?” or, “Lord God, create in me a clean heart and show me the way You want me to live?”
To make the right decisions, you have to ask the right questions. Before asking God, “Would You bless what I want to do?” you need to ask God, “What do You want me to do that You will bless?”
Henry Blackaby points out in, “Experiencing God” [page 29], that knowing God’s will for your life is bigger than asking, “What is God’s will for my life?” This is not the best question. Asking, “What is God’s will?” is the better question because the focus is on God and His purposes rather than “my life”. Blackaby advises believers to discover what God is doing in the world and then get involved.
Ask the right questions when making decisions. To begin with, God does not want you to dream dreams and then ask Him to bless your plans. Instead, God wants you to ask Him His plans, and His will, and how you can get involved. Then you get to dream dreams.
Remember that your personal relationship with God is the most important item on God’s agenda. King Saul did not want that to be the priority. The most important question to always ask God can be simply put: “Is my heart right with You, Lord Jesus?”
SOMETHING TO DO
Find a quiet, secluded place where you can talk to God. Leave your cellphone in another room so you cannot hear it. Do this with the purpose of wanting God to move you from where you are, to where He wants you to be. Take 5 to 10 minutes to ask God what He is doing in your part of the world. Ask Him to show you what He is doing around you, and what His plans are. Do this every day for a week and enjoy the outcome.
SOULTIME PRAYER
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done in my life…today, tomorrow, and always. Remind me to ask the right questions in order to be led by You. Amen.