“He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” (Psalm 23:3)
“How can I glorify you today,” is a question that we should ask every day. If the Almighty has the time for us each and every moment of every day, we should be able to find the time to ask this question of Him each day. I firmly believe that if we ask Him with the intent and desire that His will would be done in our lives solely for His glory, He will answer us. Along with that prayer request must come another, “Bless me with the ability to hear your answer.”
Here is where I believe many of us fall short, we do not take the time to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, but instead jump into something, get the ball rolling, so to speak, and then ask God to bless what we have purposed to do. “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Prov. 3:6) That means first, not in the middle of a project, not when it is complete, but before it is even begun.
If you listen to almost any pastor, after the first song or two has been sung, after the Sunday morning bulletin has been read, right before he starts his sermon, he will pray that the Lord would bless His Word and the message. I personally believe that the very first thing that must be done before anything else is to lead the congregation in prayer, praising the name of the Most High and asking for His blessings on that morning’s meeting.
How is this for a very basic question, have you ever thanked the Lord that you can breath?
Before you start anything, seek first the face of God, ask Him to show you the way to proceed, ask Him for guidance, for His blessing in that which He has set before you that He will be glorified. “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” (Col. 3:17)
Do you want to start a Bible study in your home? Do not ask Him to send people, ask Him for the validation that that is what He wants. Do you want to lead the music worship in your church, do you want to move your family to another location, get a different employment position, in everything you purpose to do always make sure first that it will in some way, shape or form glorify the Most High. “Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.” (Psalm 57:5)
The promise is true and faithful, “And he shall direct thy paths.”
There are fewer things finer in this life than the knowledge that what you are doing is what the Lord wants you to be doing. No hesitations, no questions, no doubts, the Lord has placed me here, here is where I will serve. Few know this feeling, this truth within themselves because they have not sought the Lord first, but instead have set out on the journey and then somewhere at a later time on the path have asked Him to bless them.
One is works, and the other is works for the Lord.
I believe that many who stand behind the pulpits today have erred in this manner, trusting a feeling when they believe they were called, instead of “testing the spirits,” knowing for a fact that God Himself has called them to be such.
What seems right to us is not always the will of God, in fact, many times what seems wrong, or even an impossibility is the will of God for us. Do not move, do not begin a project until you are sure that the Lord has sent you. “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” (Psalm 127:1)
