Be careful how you judge the ways, leadings and promptings of God by whether they make sense or not. God often calls people to do things that do not make one bit of sense in the natural realm. What sense did it make for Noah to build an ark when he had never seen rain? What sense did it make to stay at the task for over a century with no sight of rain in that time? It only made sense when the day of the flood came. Noah obeyed God by faith and saved his family.
What sense did it make for Moses to actually think he could be used of God to deliver Israel from four centuries of slavery. How could he deliver them from the most powerful nation in the land. It did not make any sense whatsoever. God still called Moses to do just that. Moses reluctantly obeyed after making several excuses. When God delivered Israel at the Red Sea once and for all from Egypt and Pharaoh it made perfect sense.
What sense did it make for David to face Goliath with only a sling? None, but he saw God deliver the colossal giant into his hand. What sense did it make for Elijah to trust God to be fed by ravens? It happened. Did it make sense for Elijah to face off against 850 false prophets calling down fire from Heaven? Not one bit. God called him to stand and trust. Elijah believed, obeyed, and then God did the miracle.
Did it make any sense for the disciples to throw down their nets and follow Jesus when He called them to do so? No. The path of following Jesus led many of them to death in the end. The gosel got spread and New Testament got written. It makes sense now.
Did it make any sense for Ananias to go to talk to Saul after receiving the vision to do so? It made no sense at all since Saul leveraged all at his disposal to persecute Christians. Ananias obeyed and in time saw the transformation God made in Saul. God used the man now called Paul to shake the world turning it upside down as he fearlessly preached the gospel. Churches were started. Scores were won to Christ. Most of the New Testament was written. Ananias could not see any of this on the front end. He received a vision and a message to deliver to Saul that did not make sense. Ananias obeyed by faith.
It did not make sense for Hudson Taylor to go to China as a missionary. It made less sense to stay after his wife died and so did two of his children. He stayed and God used him mightily. It did not make sense for George Muller to start an orphanage. It ddi not make sense to build four orphan houses that could house 2,000 orphans at a time, and do all this without ever telling anyone what they needed to operate except God. Mueller laid out the requests before God and God answered time and time again. People thought he was a fool. It did not make sense. In the end God glorified His own name through Mueller's steps of faith and obedience.
Tuesday afternoon I drove through pouring rain to west Texas and asked myself, "Matt, what are you doing?" I left home that morning headed for Kermit to teach a handful of people a Bible Study. Two friends called while I drove asking me what I was doing. When I told them neither could understand it. I could not explain it other than God has called me to once again do something that does not make sense to those watching from the outside. I drove 400 miles one way to teach the Bible to a dozen people. Most of you would say such an act is foolish, or senseless. Those who know me best are probably not surprised because they have seen me do other senseless things over the years at what I perceived to be the prompting of God.
While driving past cotton fields and further west past desert like shrubs and pastures the thought crossed my mind, "This does not make sense." Driving over 800 miles round trip does not make sense financially. Things are as tight in the Edwards household as they have ever been. Yet God invited me to join Him in what He is doing in Kermit. Two people asked me to come out there after reading about my dreams, so I did and a Bible study formed. It does not make sense to divide my time, leave my family, or give myself and the word of God to complete strangers.
I would have to agree. It does not make one lick of sense. I would only add one word to that last sentence. It does not make one lick of sense YET! All I am called to do is to seek God, obey His leadership in my life, and trust Him for the impossible.
God moved on a lady's heart who used to be in our youth group over two decades ago. She sent me a gas gift card telling me it was to do the special work God is calling me to do. This past Tuesday night a lady literally shoved money into my front pocket of my jeans. She gave $40 and I used it to buy gas to get back home. I received a text as I got into my truck to leave the bank where we held our Bible study. A couple texted me to let me know they had put some money inside the cover of my Bible. I looked and they gave $100 even though I stated up front my going to Kermit was not for financial compensation but in strict obedience to God.
The God stuff happens on the other side of His promptings that make no sense in the natural realm. Human nature tells us it is ridiculous and foolish to follow through on God assignments that do not make sense. Therefore, we never see God do what only He can do. Our faith is never strengthened. God is not glorified.
A whole book could be written on Brenda and I seeing God do the impossible time and time again when we obeyed God even when it did not make sense. We have been ridiculed by family, friends, and the religious crowd. We have failed. We have suffered. We have sacrificed. WE HAVE ALSO WATCHED GOD MOVE IN AMAZING WAYS AND DO WHAT OTHERS SAID WAS IMPOSSIBLE. WE LIVE FOR THOSE MOMENTS. WE DEDICATE OUR LIVES TO THOSE MOMENTS WHEN GOD CALLS US TO THINGS THAT DO NOT MAKE SENSE AND HE HONORS THOSE STEPS OF OBEDIENCE BY FAITH.
Will you take the next step God calls you to take even if it does not make sense? Will you spend the rest of your days rationalizing disobedience? Will you spend your whole life watching what God does in and through others willing to obey and risk but never experiencing it for yourself.
My coming back to Paradise did not make sense to start a church. My driving to Kermit to minister there weekly does not make sense. It only does not make sense in our eyes. It makes perfect sense to an infinitely wise, ever trustworthy, and omnipotent God.
Go ahead. Take that next step God calls you to when it does not make sense. Even when raw terror grips your heart step out anyway. Trust God with all your might and do what He leads you to do. Leave the results up to Him. He has never failed and He want start now.
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