Connected and Directed

Our church began a 50 Day Adventure today.  We are doing an older, but great one titled Celebrating Jesus.  This week's theme is "Jesus stayed spiritually connected and directed."  Today's Scripture text was Mark 1:29-39.  Jesus needed and took time alone with His Father in prayer to recharge His batteries.  The study emphasizes that God directs us in our lives when we spend time with Him.

When His disciples went searching for Jesus with the good news that many people were looking for Him, His response was not what they expected.  With the success of the ministry, the enthusiasm of the people and the great need there, they were excited about staying on in that place.  Instead Jesus replied, "Let us go to the next towns that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out"(v. 38).  Jesus not only knew His mission, but I believe it was brought to the forefront and reinforced through His time alone with God.  He was directed through His connection with the Father.

I'm still listening to the audio book, Abandoned To God, a biography of Oswald Chambers.  Chambers was a well known travelling evangelist and speaker for a time. While listening yesterday, I heard Chambers say much the same thing as Jesus showed.  He refused to view God's call in terms of "usefulness" as others defined it.

"I am not appealed to on the line that I am of more use in certain places.  It is to me where He wills.  Bless the Lord, He guides.  Pay attention to the source and He will look after the outflow."

There is always someone willing to offer you their opinion of what you should do and where you should go.  This may be even more true in ministry where those people are "paying your salary."  Just as dangerous is making our own decisions based solely on what we like to do or don't like to do or what brings us praise or other kinds of pleasing results.  I don't mean that we should never listen to others' ideas or never follow our own hearts.  These have a place.  But more than all that, I want to know that I am directed by the Lord.  I want to hear Him clarify His mission for me and show me how this should be worked out in practical terms.  For this to happen we need to spend time seeking Him in His Word and through prayer, not just going through the motions of daily devotions.

I'm interested in hearing your understanding of how God directs us and what our part is in this.  Care to share?

Grace and peace,

Dave