Finding Answers

How often do you seek answers from the Bible so as to know what to do?   For years Kathleen and I have not been able to sell our home and because of this our equity is tied up.  Not having the ability to free up this money is frustrating.  I wonder how many hours I have spent trying to identify a solution to our situation.  Recently, I read in Psalm 16:5, “The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot” (ESV).  What a great reminder that He is in control of my lot (in context lot refers to the future but here it makes a nice property statement)!  He will resolve our housing situation when the time is right. Occasionally finding answers is not the issue.  What I need is to be at peace with the Answer. 

Unfortunately, often our action or expectation can prevent us from finding God’s solution. It can be quite annoying to wait. Where we go wrong is by impatiently setting course by our own reasoning.  We run on hunches or draw from the library of our own experience.  We dance to the beat of worldly composition only to discover later we are profoundly off key.  Maybe you have waded into the Bible expecting to find solutions without success.  You won’t be the first to have had such experience. Sometimes reading the Bible may feel like a drive through the desert.  Passages seem dead and void of relevance for the challenges you face today. 

It is precisely when we least feel like searching the Scripture that we need the most to be immersed in it.  Why?  “For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as to divide soul, spirit, joints, and marrow; it is a judge of the ideas and thoughts of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).  Because God often reveals His will outside of our time schedule. If I will be patient—He will unveil His perfect plan.  When the rain comes, the sand yields flowers from seeds we had no idea were even there. The Scripture we read yesterday that seemed pointless may point our way tomorrow.
 
Meditation
Proverbs 1:5—A wise man will listen and increase his learning, and a discerning man will obtain guidance.
 
How much better it is to prepare our hearts to wait for God’s leading.  Oswald Chambers wrote in Christian Disciplines, “Divine guidance by the Word indicates a profound and personal preparation of heart.  God’s sayings are sealed to every soul until they are opened by the indwelling Spirit of God.”  Finding answers comes from listening, learning and obtaining guidance; but always we must do the work of preparing our hearts.  Solomon penned: 
My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, listening closely to wisdom and directing your heart to understanding; furthermore, if you call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it like hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God.  For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. (Pro. 2:1-6)
 
©2011 Daniel York  ARR. Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals go to www.firstcause.org and click on the "Click here to receive weekly devotionals" box.  Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.      
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)