How to: Navigate Life
How to: Navigate Life
- Greg Waybright
- Proverbs 16:9
- How to: Live
- 39 mins 28 secs
- Views: 1325
Study Notes
How to: Navigate Life - Week 8 - Study Notes
How to Navigate Life
Proverbs 16:9
Human beings are to plan their lives, but the Lord decides where their steps will take them.
Proverbs 16:9
The questions that I am most often asked as a pastor are almost always questions about how to discern God’s guidance. A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of meeting with our LAC summer interns. I wanted them to set the agenda for our one hour together so Pastor Annie facilitated a Q&A time. Interestingly, the questions most on their minds had to do with these matters of how to be guided by the Lord, how to make plans and how to make decisions that honor God.
Let’s face it -- Every day of our lives is filled with countless choices, e.g.,: Should I have coffee or tea at breakfast? Should I wear this shirt or that? Should I enroll my son and daughter in soccer camp? Should I major in Psychology or Literature? Should I retire this year or next year?
When you think about it, most of the decisions we make each day are not necessarily decisions between what is right and wrong as about what is wise. We often have lots of options about choices that are all morally OK. But, we wonder what is the best thing to do? Or, as we say it in church, “What would God have me to do in this matter?”
It is for these everyday matters of deciding what is wise that God inspired the Book of Proverbs. The first five books of the Bible, the Books of Moses, set forth a lot of God’s moral commands. Proverbs is written not so much to tell us what is morally right and wrong – but to teach us to make good choices when to make when there seem to be a lot of options open to us. Proverbs is about seeking God’s guidance to live wisely. In fact, Proverbs speaks more about guidance for life than any other book in the Bible.
The word translated “guidance” in Proverbs is the Hebrew word “tachbulah”, the word for rope. Ropes were used by sailors and fisherman in Bible times – for several reasons: 1) to lower sails when the wind was in their favor, 2) to move the sails in a way that redirected the boat when the winds changed, and 3) to tie up the sails when storms came and threatened to blow the boat off course. Over the years, that word tachbulah came to be used not only for a rope but also for guidance. The word for rope eventually became connected to this matter of navigating our ways through whatever life throws at us – whatever storms might arise.
Because of that, I’ve decided to call this message about seeking God’s guidance “How to Navigate Through Life”. Proverbs is concerned with helping us navigate through the many choices that come our ways. Proverbs provides help so that you will be able to discern the right course to take in daily decisions.
Two Essential Starting Points for Decision-Making:
#1: We make plans – God determines the outcome.
People make plans in their hearts, but the Lord puts the correct answer on their tongues… In their hearts human beings plan their lives, but the Lord decides where their steps will take them (16:1,9).
Many verses in Proverbs drive home the point that God has made us in such a way that we have the ability to make decisions. Even more than that, God commands us to use our minds to plan for the future. Human beings are not robots. We are not victims of fate. You can make real plans that make a difference. The choices you make are yours. You and I are responsible for the choices we make. God doesn’t force you to do either wise or foolish things. You are accountable for your decisions. That’s clear from Proverbs.
But, at the same time, everything that happens in this world is ultimately under God’s control. In 16:33, we read, “Lots are cast to make decisions. But everything they decide comes from the Lord.” God even takes bad things and works them for his purposes – like in 19:21: “People may have many plans in their hearts, but the Lord’s purpose wins out in the end.” You may say, as all thinking people do, “I can’t figure out how those two things fit together.” I tell you -- together with the Apostle Paul in Romans -- “Who of us can fathom the mind and ways of God?” God is able to do what we cannot fully grasp. He works all things – ALL things together -- to bring about his good and eternal plan.
Although no one can fully understand how we make responsible decisions that all contribute to God’s eternal plan, all true Jesus-followers have been grateful for both of these truths. On one side, because God has given us the ability to make real and meaningful decisions, then our lives can have meaning. What you and I do really matters in this world. On the other side, we know that we do dumb things that could ruin everything. But our foolishness does not thwart God’s plans nor does it keep God from fulfilling his purposes in our lives. The fact that God is at work so that his good purposes come out of even what is meant for evil is the only source of our peace. So, according to Proverbs, God has ordered the world in such a way that we are to to use our minds to make plans while, at the same time, God is determining the outcome.
#2: God commands us not to make evil plans.
God hates hearts that make evil plans… (6:18).
I can almost hear some of you thinking, “Well, Pastor Greg, that point is o obvious that there is no reason for you to make it.” But, I tell you that I must make it. First, God makes this point often in Proverbs. He has entrusted to us the ability to make plans even though he knows we will use that gift to make evil plans.
I’ll simply say this: The first way you can know that you are using your mind to plan evil is that you will hide things. Parents are often concerned when their children begin hiding things from them. Isn’t that right? When we see our kids shutting off the computer quickly when we walk into the room, we sense that something is going on that is not good. After the first sin took place in Genesis 3, the first thing people did was to try to hide it from God. And we still do. It’s not just kids who hide things. I simply want to say that if you try to hide things from your friends, your family, or your spouse that you are ashamed of, often that the surest sign that you are using the marvelous gift of making choices to plan evil. Even now – take a moment and surrender that matter that you might be hiding from someone, surrender it to God and tell him you will turn back to him. As 16:25 says, “There is a way (away from God) that may appear to be right to you, but in the end it will lead to death.”
Advice for Navigating Life:
Having shown you those two essentials, now I’ve boiled down four steps for navigating life from Proverbs. These will not make the decisions for you but, with God’s help, will assist you in discerning wise plans.
Step #1: Take time for prayer and reflection
One of the most beloved passages in Proverbs is 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways seek and acknowledge him and he will direct your paths.
Notice that the call is not to throw away your ability to understand but not to lean on it. Instead, take time to stop and acknowledge that God is present in your life, to ask him to see what is happening from a more eternal point of view, to express your desire to have your ways be consistent with his ways. “Lean” on him.
I have found that I must get away – even if it is just for a few moments – from what I have been doing, take a walk or sit in a different chair, and free myself from distractions. I need some time for silence and solitude when I acknowledge and seek God. Get away from the phone and computer. Find a different a place of quietness. When I do this, I often carry a sheet of paper in my hand. I acknowledge the presence of his Spirit in my heart. I ask him to show me or remind me of things I may have forgotten and to bring to mind whatever I have been shutting out. I often need to get on my knees in repentance. But, also, things come to mind that are important. I make note of them on the paper I have or in a journal.
For me, times of silence in prayer often become times of discerning God’s guidance. Ironically, when I take time away like this, I find that ultimately I seem to have more time. And I have more confidence that whatever I do is not just my plan – but consistent with God’s. “In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths.”
Step 2: Gather all the facts – and reflect on what you discover.
I’ve been surprised, as I’ve gone back through Proverbs this summer, how often God warns us of being in a hurry in our planning and decision-making. Often, bad planning often comes out of inadequate or bad information. 18:7 -- “The first to plead a case seems right, until another comes and examines him.” At other times, we simply need to have some times for the many issues affecting a decision can settle in our minds and we can think through the larger and more long-term impact of our decisions upon people -- 18:13 “He who gives an answer before he hears, it is folly and shame to him.” And the impact of making hasty decisions is usually negative: 21:5 – “Those in a hurry will become poor.”
So, when you have a big decision to make, don’t rush unnecessarily. I know that there will come a time when a decision must be made – but set aside time before making that decision to gather facts, to listen, and to process matters deeply. You will find that, unexpectedly, it rarely takes more time to do this. That may be that you focus better when you are intentional and conscientious about planning. As G.K. Chesterton has said, “One of the great disadvantages of hurry is that it takes such a long time.”
Those who set aside time to gather facts and perspectives and then to reflect on them prayerfully always seem to me to be people at peace. Jesus was this way. J.B. Phillips wrote: “It is refreshing to study the poise and quietness of Jesus. His tasks and responsibilities might well have driven a person out of his mind. But Jesus was never in a hurry, never impressed by numbers, never a slave of the clock.”
Step 3: Seek counsel from trusted family members, godly friends and church community.
I have been struck by how often the Book of Proverbs tells us to seek counsel in our planning and decision-making. It’s as if God is saying, “One of the gifts I give you is the gift of relationships.” When you have relationships with people committed to the Lord, you will find God consistently tells you to talk with them, open up the issues of your life with them and gain counsel. Let me show you just a few of the verses:
12:15 -- The way of foolish people seems right to them, but those who are wise listen to advice.
15:22 -- Plans fail without good advice but they succeed when there are many advisers.
24:6 -- If you are in a battle, you surely need guidance. If you want to win, you need many good advisers.
A significant part of the way God has guided me all my life has been through good advisors. I remember that, when I had been planning to study law in college, I had church people come to me and say, “We have watched you and see that God has given you the gifts to be a pastor.” I remember when my parents first met Chris. My Dad gave me “subtle” counsel, “If you don’t hold on to her, you have a hole in your head.” I remember how God used people like Dr. Paul Cedar to guide us first to Trinity International University in 1995 and then here to Lake Avenue Church in 2007. I affirm, “Those who are wise listen to counsel.”
Step 4: Once a plan is made, stick with the plan and work it diligently.
I bring us back to 21:5 – The plans of people who work diligently succeed. You can be just as sure that those in a hurry will become poor. Coming where it does in Proverbs, this verse presupposes that we have indeed sought the Lord and surrendered to his ways, sought counsel and been shaped by it and have come to settle on a plan. The word translated “diligently” is a word that calls for us, once we have discerned guidance, to stick to the matter and to do the things that bring the plans made into reality. One Proverb, 24:27, even gives us a description of how it works out in daily life. Once a plan is determined: 1) Put your outdoor work in order. 2) Get your fields ready. 3) After that, build your house.
I find so much practical wisdom in all this. I can hardly tell you how often I’ve heard people say something like this, “The Lord showed me that I should do a certain thing.” Within a short time, they’ve forgotten what the Lord supposedly said and are doing something else! In our society, we tend to try something and then, if it doesn’t work immediately, we give it up and try something else.
When you have finally discerned that there is something that God would have you do, go after it diligently – stick with it even when the challenges come (as they inevitably will). Sometimes, it will be hard. As Chaim Potok wrote in his book In the Beginning, “All beginnings are hard.” But, if we have sought the Lord, if the plan is consistent with his leading, then that difficult beginning will lead to wonderful things. Our role is to continue on believing that the decision is not merely ours but his, and working faithfully and diligently in keeping with God’s leading.
What I’m talking about is developing a way of life in which we are consistently seeking the Lord’s guidance in our decision-making. It’s exactly what John and Jessica Secrest spoke with us about last weekend as they have sought God’s guidance to become church planters again. They said they have been learning to develop a daily way of life in which they seek God’s guidance first as a couple and later as a family. John talked to me this week about how they consciously and intentionally acknowledge the presence of the Lord, seek him in prayer, spend time in solitude and reflection, and then seeking counsel from godly friends. They’ve done this about smaller things for many years. So, when big decisions come, they know how to seek God. That’s what Proverbs is commending to you.
I want to add this testimony too: After the communistic walls of the Soviet Union came down, I had the privilege of visiting Prague, Czechoslovakia and the Christian group of churches called “Circa Braska”. Their leader said to me that he was thrilled that they now could have a partnership with other churches like the churches in North America. But he also said that he wondered whether American Christians want eternal things to happen too fast and without struggle. He said that he had already learned that if there is no quick “Return on Investment” (ROI), disinterest seems to set in for many American Christians. “Some of you give up too fast,” he said. He told me that as the Czech Christians will surely learn many things from American Christians, perhaps we will learn about the beauty of learning to wait on the Lord for his guidance.
Once we have sought the Lord, gathered all the facts we can and reflected on them prayerfully, sought counsel from good advisors and settled on a decision, we need to work the plan diligently and see what God will do. We need to continue faithfully to carry out what we believe the Lord has shown us.
I will tell you that making decisions like this will lead you down unexpected paths and sometimes down some challenging ones. But, when you sense that a decision is not only the one you made but also the one God has led you to make, it provides a lot of security and peace no matter what else happens. And I find it to be a beautiful way to live. Sailors had rope as a resource for navigating though uncertain waters. We have God’s Spirit, God’s Word, the gift of prayer, and God’s people to help us navigate life.
So, I will leave you with the wonderful Proverb we began with, i.e., 16:9 --
Human beings are to plan their lives.
But the Lord decides where their steps will take them.
To His glory,
Dr. Greg Waybright
Senior Pastor
Greg Waybright • Copyright 2015, Lake Avenue Church
Chinese Translation
How to Navigate Life - Week 8 - Study Notes – Chinese Translation
如何為你的人生導航
人心籌算自己的道路。惟耶和華指引他的腳步。
箴言16:9
在我做牧師以來,人們問我最多的一個問題,就是我們應當如何領會神的帶領。幾周前,教會的幾位牧者與我們暑期班的實習生有一個小時的聚會時間,其間我們有一段問答時間,有趣的是,他們所提出的大部分問題,都與如何聽從主的帶領、如何制定計劃,以及如何做決策來榮耀神有關。
讓我們來正視一個問題,那就是,我們的生活中充滿了無數的選擇,比如,我早晨應當和咖啡還是喝茶?我應當穿這件衣服還是那件?我應不應該給孩子註冊足球營?我應該主修心理學還是文學?我應當今年退休還是明年?
如果仔細思考一下,你會發現,我們每天所做的大部分決定,都無所謂對錯明智與否。很多時候,我們的許多選擇都不存在道德問題。然而,我們還是想知道哪一個選擇才是最好的。就像我們常常在教會裏說的,“神會讓我在這件事上怎樣做呢?
神將箴言書啟示給我們,為要幫我們在這些日常事務上有明智的決策。聖經前面五卷書,也就是摩西五經,已經闡明了神的道德規範。箴言並非是要告訴我們如何分辨對錯,而是要教導我們如何在眾多選擇中做出最好的選擇。箴言書的主旨,是尋求神的引導,明智地生活。其實,箴言書比聖經中任何一卷書都更多地引導我們的日常生活。
在箴言書中翻譯為“引導”的希伯來原文是 “tachbulah”這個字,它的原意是指繩子。繩子是聖經時代水手和漁民們所使用的,它們有以下幾種用法:1)當船只順風的時候降下桅桿;2)當風向改變的時候轉動桅桿,從而改變船向;3)當風暴來臨、船只面臨被吹離航道的危險時系住桅桿。在那個時代,tachbulah這個字的意思不僅僅是繩子,也有引導的意思。也就是說,繩子這個字,最終被引申為在人生的風暴或遭遇中引領我們的意思。
正因如此,我決定傳講這個關於尋求神帶領的信息 ---- “如何為你的人生掌舵”。箴言是幫助人們在他們所面臨的眾多選擇中如何決策的一部書。這部書可以在日常決策中幫助你辨明正確的道路。
做決策的兩個重要起點:
第一,籌劃在人,結果在神
心中的謀算在乎人。舌頭的應對,由於耶和華……人心籌算自己的道路,唯耶和華引導他的腳步(箴言16:1,9)。
箴言中的很多節經文都提到,神使我們擁有做決策的能力。不僅如此,神還命令我們用頭腦籌劃未來。人類不是機器人。我們不是命運的犧牲者。你可以擬定計劃,改變命運。你可以自己做決定。我們也都需要為自己的選擇而負責任。神不會強迫你去做明智或愚昧之事。你要為自己的決定負責。這一點在箴言書中很明顯。
然而同時,世間發生的每件事最終都在神的掌控之下。16:33說,“簽放在懷裏,定事由耶和華。”神甚至可以使用壞事來成就祂的旨意,正如19:21所說的:“人心多有計謀,唯有耶和華的籌算,才能立定。”你可能會像其他人那樣,說,“我想不出來這兩件事怎麽能相配”。我告訴你,使徒保羅在羅馬書中也這樣說,“我們之中有誰能揣度神的意念與道路?”神所做的,我們無法完全明白。祂使萬事互相效力,為要成就祂美好、永恒的計劃。
可能沒有人能完全理解,為什麽我們負責做出的一切決定,都會為神永恒的計劃效力,然而所有真正跟隨耶穌的人都會為這個事實而充滿感恩。一方面,神賜給我們做出真實而重要決策的能力,因此我們的人生才有意義,我們所做的,都會對這個世界產生影響。另一方面,我們也知道,我們會做傻事起到破壞的作用。神永遠在作工,哪怕是壞事也會成就祂美好的旨意,這個事實是我們得到平安的唯一憑據。因此,根據箴言,神命定祂所創造的世界如此運作,就是我們用頭腦籌劃,而神才能定規萬事的結果。
第二,神命令我們不能圖謀惡事
耶和华恨恶……圖謀惡計的心……(6:18)
你們肯定有人這樣想, “Greg牧師,你沒有理由這樣說。” 但是,我必須要這樣說。首先,神在箴言中就是這樣說的。祂將謀劃的能力賜給我們,即使祂知道我們會使用這個恩賜來圖謀惡事。
你意識到你會使用頭腦圖謀惡事的第一件事,就是你會隱藏東西。當孩子向父母有所隱藏的時候,父母就會很擔心,對不對?當我們看到孩子在你走進他的房間時快速關閉電腦的時候,我們就會感覺到正在有不好的事情發生。在創世紀第三章,人類最初犯罪之後,他們所做的第一件事就是從神面前隱藏起來。我們今天仍然如此。不僅僅是孩童才會隱藏。我只想說,當你向你的配偶、家庭,或朋友隱藏你覺得羞恥之事的時候,你肯定是在使用你的恩賜圖謀惡事。你現在就可以花一點時間,把那件隱藏之事交托給神,告訴祂,你會轉回來歸向祂。正像16:25所說的,“有一條路,人以為正,至終成為死亡之路。”
為掌握人生提出的幾點建議:
在講完以上兩個要點之後,我總結了引導我們人生的四個步驟。這些步驟不會幫你做決定,但是靠著神的幫助,它們會幫你判斷明智的計劃。
第一步:花時間禱告和自省
箴言書中最受人喜愛的經文是3:5-6:“你要專心仰賴耶和華,不可依靠自己的聰明。在你一切所行的事上,都要認定祂,祂必指引你的路。”
請你註意,神不是讓你棄絕你的理解力,而是讓你不要依靠它。要停下來花時間思考,認識到神就在你的生命中,你要求問祂,想想從永恒的角度來看,你的人生將會如何,你要向祂祈求,使你的道路符合祂的道路。要“依靠”祂。
我發現我常常需要離開片刻,哪怕只有一會兒,讓自己停下手裏的事情,出去走走,或者換個座位,讓自己不要分心。當我認識和尋求神的時候,我需要靜默和孤獨的時間。遠離電話和電腦,找到另外一個安靜的所在。這種時候,我常常會帶著一張紙,我認識到祂的靈與我的心同在。我祈求祂指示、提醒我那些被我遺忘、或是拒絕的事情,我常常跪下來悔改。在這些事情中,也會包括一些我臨時想到的重要的事情,我都會將它們記在紙上,或是日誌上。
對我來說,靜默禱告的時間,也成為我辨認神引導的時間。諷刺的是,每當這個時候,我就會發現,我好像總是會有更多的時間。我更相信,我所做的都不是我個人的計劃,而是符合神的計劃的。“在你一切所行的事上,都要認定祂,祂必指引你的路。”
第二步:收集所有事實,反思你的發現
這個夏天,當我重讀箴言書的時候,我很驚訝地發現,神如此頻繁地警告我們,不要倉促地計劃與做決定。失敗的計劃常常來自於不好的信息。18:7說:“愚昧人的口,自取敗壞。他的嘴,是他生命的網羅。” 有時候,我們只是需要一些時間,讓那些影響我們做決策的問題可以在我們心中沈澱一下,使我們可以想想,我們的決定對其他人有什麽更大、更長久的影響。18:13說:“未曾聽完先回答的,便是他的愚昧和羞辱。” 匆忙之間所做的決定往往會有負面的影響: 21:5說,“行事急躁的,都必缺乏。”
因此,當你要做重要決策的時候,不要無謂地做魯莽的決定。我知道,要做決定的時候早晚都會來臨,但是你要在決定之前留一些時間收集事實,傾聽別人的建議,並深入思考。你會不期然地發現,其實你只需要很少的時間就能做完這件事。也許這是因為當你有意、用心計劃的時候,就會更加專心的緣故。正如G.K.切斯特頓所說的,“匆忙最大的弊病就是浪費太多時間。”
在我看來,那些花時間收集事實和不同觀點、然後經過禱告,加以反思的人,總是會有平安。耶穌就是這樣的人。J.B.菲利普斯寫道:“研究耶穌的安穩與平靜有另人耳目一新的感覺。祂所承擔的任務和責任會讓人發瘋,但是耶穌卻從未倉促行事,從來不會被數字嚇倒,也不會成為時間的奴隸。”
第三步:從值得信賴的家庭成員、屬神的朋友和教會團體中尋求輔導
箴言中多次說到,我們應當在計劃和決策的時候咨詢其他人。神似乎在告訴我們: “我所賜給你們的恩賜之一,就是與人之間的關系。” 當你與信靠神的人成為朋友時,你會發現,神始終都希望你和他們交談,將你生命中遇到的問題與他們分享,並且得到他們的建議。我們來看幾節聖經:
12:15:“愚妄人所行的,在自己眼中看為正直。惟智慧人,肯聽人的勸教。”
15:22: “不先商議,所謀無效。謀士眾多,所謀乃成。”
24:6: “你去打仗,要憑智謀。謀士眾多,人便得勝。”
在我的一生中,神的引導的一個重要部分,就是通過好的輔導來完成的。我還記得,當我決定在大學主修法律的時候,我們教會的人對我說:“通過你的觀察,我們覺得神給了你做牧師的恩賜。”我還記得我父母第一次見我太太的時候。我父親給了我一個精妙的“忠告”:“如果你不抓住她,你的腦袋是進水了。”我也記得神藉著保羅·西達博士等人在1995年帶領我們去三一國際大學,然後在2007年帶領我們來洛杉磯的Lake Avenue教會。我確定,凡智慧人都會聽人的建議。
第四步:一旦定好計劃,就要努力不懈,堅持執行。
讓我們再回到21:5:“殷勤籌劃的,足致豐裕。行事急躁的,都必缺乏。” 箴言告訴我們,這節經文的前提是,我們需要確實尋求主,並順從祂的道路,以此來尋求咨詢、被它塑造,努力完成所計劃的。“勤奮” 這個詞,要求我們堅持不懈,將計劃變為現實。箴言24:27描述了在日常生活中如何這樣行。一旦計劃制定完畢:1)按序排好戶外工作;2)預備好場地;3)然後再建造房子。
我在其中發現許多實用的智謀。我已經數不清我有多少次聽到人們這樣講了:“主啟示我,讓我做這件事。” 然而很短的時間之後,他們就忘記了從前所說的話,去做別的事情了! 在當今社會中,人們總是嘗試著做一件事,如果沒有立刻成功,就放棄去做其他的事。
如果你最終找到了神要托付你做的事情,你就要勤奮去做,哪怕面臨挑戰也不放棄(挑戰是不可避免的)。有時候的確會很艱難。柴穆·波特克在他的“起始”這本書中說:“萬事開頭難。”然而如果我們尋求神,我們的計劃若與神的帶領一致,那麽,那個困難的開頭就會帶出美好的結局。我們只要繼續相信,這個決定不僅僅是我們做的,也是主所做的。我們需要忠心、勤勞地努力,順服神的帶領。
我想說的是,我們要養成一種生活方式,使我們在做任何決定的時候都尋求主的引導。這也是約翰和傑西卡·斯魁上周分享的內容,他們尋求神的引導,重新開始植堂事工。他們說,他們養成了在每天的生活中兩人一起尋求神帶領的習慣,然後全家再一同這樣做。約翰告訴我,他們自覺有意地確認神的同在,在禱告中尋求祂,與神獨處,並且反思,然後再從屬神的朋友中尋求帶領。多年來,在小事上他們都是如此做的,因此,當重大決策來臨的時候,他們就知道如何尋求神。這就是箴言命令我們做的。
我想告訴你這個見證:在蘇聯的共產黨解體之後,我有幸去了捷克斯洛伐克的布拉格參觀了一個教會。他們的牧者告訴我,他很激動,他們現在竟然可以和一個北美的教會合作。然而他還說,他不知道北美的基督徒是否總是不想經過任何困難,就要看到永恒的事快速實現。如果沒有快速的“投資回報”,似乎許多北美的基督徒就會陷入漠不關心之中。他說:“你們有些人太快放棄了。”他告訴我,他們那個地方的基督徒肯定可以和北美的基督徒學到很多東西,可能他們還可以學到等待主帶領的美好功課。
我們若要尋求主,就要收集所有的事實,在禱告中思考,咨詢好的主內輔導,做出決定,之後我們就需要辛勤地實施計劃,看看神將會成就何等的事工。我們需要繼續忠心地完成主所托付給我們的使命。
我可以告訴你,做這樣的決定會使你踏上意外之旅,有時還會面對富有挑戰的道路。然而,你要知道,假如一個決定不僅僅是我們自己做出的,更是神帶領我們做出的,那麽無論發生什麽,神都會因此而賜給我們安全和平安。那是一種美麗的生活方式。在飄忽不定的水中,繩子是水手的資源。我們則有神的靈、神的話語、禱告的恩賜和神的子民做我們人生的向導。
讓我們再回到今天開始時讀過的箴言經文:16:9 – 人心籌算自己的道路。惟耶和華引導他的腳步。
榮耀歸給神
Greg Waybright 博士
主任牧師
祂的荣耀,
格雷格Waybright博士
主任牧師
Greg Waybright • Copyright 2015, Lake Avenue Church