Discerning God's Will at the Crossroads

Summary

A visiting preacher, in the United States for over twenty years and now in town while his wife receives treatment for cancer, opens in Ephesians 5 and asks the church to pray for his family. He centers his message on Ephesians 5:15-17 - walk wisely, redeem the time, and understand what the will of the Lord is. Life, he says, is a series of crossroads where we must choose which way to turn, and the command to understand means we must not rush but discern whether a path truly comes from God.

God guides through two sources: His Word, a lamp to our feet, and the Holy Spirit, who leads us into all truth. The preacher illustrates from his own life - a rushed car purchase he regretted, his wife's illness when three strangers independently pointed him to the same clinic, and an agonizing decision about moving his family. Instead of deciding alone, he laid two slips of paper before God and the congregation in prayer, and went out released and blessed.

From Genesis 13 he warns against Lot, who chose the well-watered plain by the sight of his eyes and ended up raising his children among wicked men. Many people chase money and good jobs and lose their children. So bring every decision to God, weigh the consequences for your whole family, and ask the church to pray; when heaven approves, you will never weep over the choice.

Key Points

• Every day we stand at a crossroads, and God commands us to understand His will rather than rush into a decision.
• God guides through two sources - His written Word and the Holy Spirit.
• Some choices affect only us, but others carry responsibility for our spouse and children.
• Do not decide by the sight of your eyes alone, as Lot did; weigh the consequences for your whole family.
• Chasing money or a good job at the cost of your children is a poor exchange.
• Bring decisions to God in prayer and ask the church to pray; act only when heaven confirms.
• When God approves your choice, you move forward released, blessed, and without regret.