Especially in the more charismatic-flavored churches, christians talk a lot about hearing God and doing God's will. I've gone to charismatic churches for years and have been in church since I was a little boy. Much of what I've seen in the 'hearing God' or "I felt led" department is really... nothing. Many christians don't want to do what God wants them to do (primarily because it interferes with their lives, not because they hate God or something), so when they 'feel led', they... just don't do anything.
As common sense might show, and as the Bible shows (eg. 1John 2), there are different levels of spiritual maturity, ability, faith, Grace. In the area of works (action, obedience, glorifying God), the level or type of people God trusts and 'likes' most are the ones who act without having to wait on God to give specific directions: the bold. Why would God trust and have a special love for these people? They are the most accessible vessels for Him; they're the most similar to Him in the area of action. God is always acting and always active (Jesus said,"My Father has been working until now, [therefore] I too am working" -John 5:17). Some of the greatest works of faith in the Bible were performed by people who took initiative; ie. they did not wait for God to tell them what to do but simply just did it. Because they were acting in line with God's will, God backed their actions and honored them. Just a few of these people:
1.) Phinehas. During a plague in Israel for their disobedience, one of Aaron's sons decided to just do what he knew was right rather than praying and waiting on God to do something. I believe that spiritual eyes will see that Moses, Aaron, Miriam, and the other leaders and godly people were praying for God to stop the plague. But God didn't stop the plague for them but for Phinehas because he took initiative and did the right thing without having to be told. In case anyone reads the text and doesn't realize that God acted specifically because Phinehas took action, God says it plainly. (Numbers 25.)
2.) Jonathan. Most christians don't know that Jonathan and David loved each other so much because in matters of faith and boldness, they were exactly the same. In fighting Goliath alone, David was like Jonathan, not the other way around. 4 chapters before the story that overshadows his own solitary conquest of the Philistines, Jonathan faced down the Philistine army against the orders of King Saul, his father. While the entire Israelite army hid in caves, Jonathan snuck off (he did not pray and wait for God's guidance). He showed his armorbearer that he trusted that God wanted Israel to defeat the Philistines, and so if the entire military wouldn't would do it, then he would do it alone. He stated, "For nothing can prevent the Lord from saving whether with many or with few." He prevailed and the Israelite army joined him after that. (1Sam. 14.)
3.) David. Everyone knows the story. The entire military came out every day for forty days with the war cry that signaled that they were ready to fight... and every day for forty days, Goliath made them change their mind. When David heard Goliath speak just one time, he immediately recognized that God's enemies were approaching both God and God's people. David discerned that wasn't God will and that God's will was for Goliath to be defeated. That quickly, in seconds. He comforted King Saul and told him not to worry, then without prayer or fasting or a weekend to seek God, David prevailed and the Israelite army joined him after that. Just like Jonathan. That was why the Bible says David and Jonathan were knit together in soul. After David killed Goliath, everyone loved him; but the Bible says, "The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul" (1Sam. 18:1). They were the exact same [rare] class of men, a class that God esteems very highly.
4.) Abigail. This woman was something special. In 1Sam. 25, David and his men did some work for Abigail's very wealthy husband. Instead of paying them, like their culture demanded he do, Abigail's husband refused to pay them and also mouthed off at David. When David heard about it, always one to take initiative, he vowed to kill Abigail's husband and basically everyone on his sprawling properties and immediately got his men on their way to pay him one last visit. But God alerted Abigail through one of her servants that her husband was as good as dead and so without asking him or anyone else, she prepared some gifts for David and his men. And when she intercepted him on the way to kill her husband, she spoke prophetically and with tremendous wisdom to him, telling him that God would establish him as king and that God would take care of her husband (which He did) and that David wouldn't have to mar his record by doing the killing himself. She was remarkably spot on and David, sensing her spirit, changed his mind. God alerted her to the looming threat but didn't tell her what to do. She took initiative herself, like the Proverbs 31 wife. From that short chapter, I consider Abigail to be the most amazing woman in the OT.
Initiative. We do it when it comes to feeding our faces and taking care of ourselves; but we totally forget how to do it and become timid when it regards God, others, and things outside of our personal space. Just like parents would trust kids who take initiative to do the right thing and don't have to be told by their parents, God trusts and favors His children who do the same.
As common sense might show, and as the Bible shows (eg. 1John 2), there are different levels of spiritual maturity, ability, faith, Grace. In the area of works (action, obedience, glorifying God), the level or type of people God trusts and 'likes' most are the ones who act without having to wait on God to give specific directions: the bold. Why would God trust and have a special love for these people? They are the most accessible vessels for Him; they're the most similar to Him in the area of action. God is always acting and always active (Jesus said,"My Father has been working until now, [therefore] I too am working" -John 5:17). Some of the greatest works of faith in the Bible were performed by people who took initiative; ie. they did not wait for God to tell them what to do but simply just did it. Because they were acting in line with God's will, God backed their actions and honored them. Just a few of these people:
1.) Phinehas. During a plague in Israel for their disobedience, one of Aaron's sons decided to just do what he knew was right rather than praying and waiting on God to do something. I believe that spiritual eyes will see that Moses, Aaron, Miriam, and the other leaders and godly people were praying for God to stop the plague. But God didn't stop the plague for them but for Phinehas because he took initiative and did the right thing without having to be told. In case anyone reads the text and doesn't realize that God acted specifically because Phinehas took action, God says it plainly. (Numbers 25.)
2.) Jonathan. Most christians don't know that Jonathan and David loved each other so much because in matters of faith and boldness, they were exactly the same. In fighting Goliath alone, David was like Jonathan, not the other way around. 4 chapters before the story that overshadows his own solitary conquest of the Philistines, Jonathan faced down the Philistine army against the orders of King Saul, his father. While the entire Israelite army hid in caves, Jonathan snuck off (he did not pray and wait for God's guidance). He showed his armorbearer that he trusted that God wanted Israel to defeat the Philistines, and so if the entire military wouldn't would do it, then he would do it alone. He stated, "For nothing can prevent the Lord from saving whether with many or with few." He prevailed and the Israelite army joined him after that. (1Sam. 14.)
3.) David. Everyone knows the story. The entire military came out every day for forty days with the war cry that signaled that they were ready to fight... and every day for forty days, Goliath made them change their mind. When David heard Goliath speak just one time, he immediately recognized that God's enemies were approaching both God and God's people. David discerned that wasn't God will and that God's will was for Goliath to be defeated. That quickly, in seconds. He comforted King Saul and told him not to worry, then without prayer or fasting or a weekend to seek God, David prevailed and the Israelite army joined him after that. Just like Jonathan. That was why the Bible says David and Jonathan were knit together in soul. After David killed Goliath, everyone loved him; but the Bible says, "The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul" (1Sam. 18:1). They were the exact same [rare] class of men, a class that God esteems very highly.
4.) Abigail. This woman was something special. In 1Sam. 25, David and his men did some work for Abigail's very wealthy husband. Instead of paying them, like their culture demanded he do, Abigail's husband refused to pay them and also mouthed off at David. When David heard about it, always one to take initiative, he vowed to kill Abigail's husband and basically everyone on his sprawling properties and immediately got his men on their way to pay him one last visit. But God alerted Abigail through one of her servants that her husband was as good as dead and so without asking him or anyone else, she prepared some gifts for David and his men. And when she intercepted him on the way to kill her husband, she spoke prophetically and with tremendous wisdom to him, telling him that God would establish him as king and that God would take care of her husband (which He did) and that David wouldn't have to mar his record by doing the killing himself. She was remarkably spot on and David, sensing her spirit, changed his mind. God alerted her to the looming threat but didn't tell her what to do. She took initiative herself, like the Proverbs 31 wife. From that short chapter, I consider Abigail to be the most amazing woman in the OT.
Initiative. We do it when it comes to feeding our faces and taking care of ourselves; but we totally forget how to do it and become timid when it regards God, others, and things outside of our personal space. Just like parents would trust kids who take initiative to do the right thing and don't have to be told by their parents, God trusts and favors His children who do the same.
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