What happens when, despite all the guidance offered through scripture and the availability of the Holy Spirit, we insist on living life our own way instead of God’s?  What happens when, as we seek to know more of God we turn more to the words of human beings than to the Bible?  What happens when knowing about God becomes more important to us than actually knowing God?  What happens when, as we make difficult personal decisions we seek the counsel of other people more than we pray seeking wisdom from God Himself?  I believe God says, “Okay. You insist on doing life your way; go ahead.  You’re free to do so.  It breaks my heart, and I wish you wouldn’t because I have so much more for you than you can even imagine, but okay.”

“And my people would not hear my voice, and it was Israel that did not want me.  And I sent them away to the stubbornness of their heart, that they should walk in their own counsels.”  Psalm 81:11-12

I’ve seen this scenario play out in my own life, have you?  Usually the neglect of God is not intentional.  Who wakes up in the morning, puts their hands over their ears and says, “Lord, I’m not listening to you today!”  No one that I know.  In fact, in my own life it has often come because of my over-involvement in really good things.  As a young wife and mother, the busyness of life and trying to serve my family well could easily lead me to replace the important big rocks of life with the more urgent pelting pebbles.  I’d find myself scurrying from activity to activity putting out fire after fire, easily losing sight of God in the process.  When I was leading a large ministry team at church, I’d frequently have to remind myself to slow down and seek God in the decisions that seemed to need to be made “right now!”

Through the years, though, I’ve learned that God always provides time to meet with Him, when we genuinely seek Him with all our heart.  It doesn’t always look like a traditional “quiet time,” but He is with us just the same, meeting the deepest needs of our being.  I can still remember clearly waking in the middle of the night (yet again) to the sound of a crying infant.  As I was rocking her back to sleep, grieving over the fact that I would need every minute of sleep the next morning in order to care well for all three young children the next day and likely miss my personal worship time, God clearly spoke to my heart in that very moment:  “Be still and know that I am God.”  I began to weep right there in the big blue recliner as I realized that the God of the Universe was not only aware that I was up with the baby again, but that He cared enough to meet my need for time with Him.  Then His Spirit whispered to mine, “Even more faithfully than you love and comfort the child you’re tending now, I will love and comfort you all the days of your life.”  Wow.  And then the truth to which I’ve clung so many times throughout the years of child-rearing:  “As much as you love this child, never forget that I love her even more than you can comprehend.  Trust me with your children, Tracy.”  While I have certainly had to be reminded of all of these truths time and time again, the counsel of God from that night has sustained me through many difficult situations since.

Perhaps the counsel God wants to provide you is not related to child-rearing.  Maybe you’re making decisions related to other personal relationships, work or school, or simply how to live life faithfully as a believer.  Know that the Counselor who knows you and your situation best is speaking even now through the living and active words of the Bible.  Take time to read it daily and listen to it faithfully preached and taught.  God truly speaks to His people through His Word.  You’ll be amazed at how personal the counsel can be!

Know too that the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ Himself lives within all who have put their faith in Him.  Seek Him through prayer and quiet meditation.  Find time to “Be still” and remember that God is God, even if the time you find is non-traditional.  Setting a regular appointment for prayer and Bible study has proven the best plan for my personal journey, but even when life gets crazy and I’m unable to have my regular personal worship time, God as been faithful to meet me where I am.  I have no doubt He’ll do the same for you.

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”  Jeremiah 29:13