Thursday, August 7, 2008

"The Answer Is Easy"

"...for I do always those things that please him." John 8:29b

One of my email friends wrote me a note in response to yesterday's devotional about keeping your mouth shut and not repeating something that will cause discord, hurt feelings, disunity or trouble because God hates it. She said that she was going through a similar situation that very day and wanted to say something to a certain person but after reading the Coffee Break she didn't. She said it was easier to keep her mouth shut although she had the opportunity to say something once she realized how God felt about it.

Her last statement really spoke to me. The key to doing the right thing is to know how God feels about it. "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge". (Hosea 4:6a) If you aren't sure what pleases or displeases God, what He calls sin, what He says is an abomination, then when the temptation comes you may give into it and be destroyed by it. Of course, we still have to make the choice to do the right thing even if we know how He feels. If your goal is to please God and do His will then when you come to a situation you will already know what to do if you know how God feels about it. Daniel could have eaten the king's meat but he didn't because he knew how God felt about it. Joseph could have given into Potaphar's wife's advancements but because he knew how God felt about it he fled instead. They did not have to ask what was the right thing to do-- there was no doubt, no confusion, no hesitation, because they desired to please God and knew that to do other than they did would not.

Knowing what God says about something, knowing what displeases Him, knowing how He feels about certain issues will settle the decision for you... there will be no question about what you should do... you'll do the thing that pleases God.... therefore, the decision as to what to do will be an easy one.

Have a great day. When you know how God feels about it, it will settle the question, "What to do?" for you... that is if you desire to do His will.

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