Finding our way in life is not always easy, but even more difficult is to find it in the will of God, and in so doing, bring it into line with God’s purpose (Romans 1:10 & 15:32, NKJV).
This involves finding a balance between God’s sovereignty and our responsibility — between what God will do for us and what He expects us to do for ourselves. Are uou wndering how to find your way in God’s will? Don’t waste time in trying to find your own way! Instead, see if you can answer the following, helpful questions:
1. Are you using the prophetic words you received as weapons of spiritual warfare?
Personal prophecy can be a useful weapon (1 Timothy 1:18). But don’t just wait for prophecies to work — war by them! If God prophesied that you would make it — you will! You don’t know how things will end, but He does, and He chose you knowing full well how His ability and your capability would work together.
2. Are you allowing others to interpret what the Holy Spirit is saying to you?
The apostle Paul went “bound in the spirit” to Jerusalem (Acts 20:22). Paul was captive to the will of God. The prophetic voice “in every city” confirmed that dangers lay ahead (Acts 20:23). However, the apostle did not let that knowledge hinder his own leading (See 2 Kings 2:3, 5). What others say prophetically is to be interpreted in the light what of the Lord has already put in your heart — even if those who warn are prophets (Acts 21:4, 11). A mature believer does not allow a prophecy from another person to override God’s personal guidance.
3. Are you being spiritual to the detriment of your own physical well-being?
Paul did not consider his Divine call and his civil rights to be mutually exclusive (Acts 22:22-29). The Jews were his chief persecutors at that time, so why let them use the Romans to punish him to no good purpose? Jesus would not have been glorified in a flogging that had no purpose.
4. Are you using wisdom to overcome the worldly forces that have combined to oppose you?
Paul used Julius Caesar’s “divide and conquer” principle of warfare to divide Pharisee and Sadducee (Acts 23:6-10; Matthew 22:23). He made the theological division between the two groups work for his good (Philippians 3:5; 1 Corinthians 7:31). Christianity has nothing in common with Fatalism. “Whatever will be” will not be, once your renewed mind resolves the issue.
5. Are you saying, “Nothing can stop me,” or “I will not allow anything to stop me”?
The Divine Imperative (the “must”) would not of itself have got Paul where he had to go (Acts 23:11-24). He also needed to be willing to be proactive, if he was to save himself.
6. Do you make your own choices, or do you allow others to direct your life?
Paul claimed his citizen’s rights to prevent an injustice. A person in authority wanted to curry favour at his expense (Acts 25:8-12; 24:27). Paul appealed to a higher, earthly authority. Your heavenly citizenship gives you access to God in prayer, but don’t overlook your earthly citizenship – Paul didn’t.
7. Do you take charge in desperate situations, or do you allow others to direct you?
The Divine Imperative of Acts 23:11 is repeated in Acts 27:21-26. Yet it was necessary that everyone on board the ship fit in with what the Lord had revealed to Paul (Acts 27:30-31). They did need a word of encouragement, but they also needed the strength that a meal would bring to enable them to swim to shore.
8. Are you allowing a sudden, unexpected “final straw” to deter you from seeing your original vision through to a successful conclusion?
Safely ashore, the snakebite was nothing to the apostle. He shook the snake into the fire, knowing that he hadn’t escaped being flogged, assassinated, or drowned at sea, only to die from a bite of a poisonous, satanic creature (Acts 28:3-6).
So, “shake off” any last, desperate attempt by Satan to stop you because you know that nothing can do so now that you’ve come so far for so long and found your way in the will of God. You are now close to where He said you would be so long ago, when your journey began!
Journey’s End at last awaits!