I shared with you last week some of the principles for seeking the will of God or hearing His voice. But realize there are times when God Himself breaks the rules. He does that. He is not at all a God who is stuck in a box, doing things only one way. He is infinite creativity personified. Allow me to share one of my experiences in this regard.
I was to go to a Geography Conference in Wellington NZ but had been sick. The men’s praying meeting prayed for me and one of the pastors had a word for the Lord for me. “In Wellington God will show you the next step really clearly and you will see all things in perspective (related to our feelings of being involved in mission).” I laughed and said, “Let’s not get too super-spiritual, I am only going to a Geography Conference.” On the way back from Wellington I planned to see Bruce, an old friend, to share with him how God was leading us into mission work. In Wellington through a chain of events (which are secondary to the experience I want to tell you) I learned that the Move Out Missions Conference was on and I had a strong impression that I should go. At Move Out all of those things my pastor Weston Finlay had said happened. I was told the next steps really clearly and given an overview of all that was before us. Indeed what Weston had told me in a prophetic word happened.
As I sat in my hotel room the next morning, I had been praying and asking God, “When was I to return to Matamata?” I felt as though I was a fish out of water at the Geography Conference. I just didn’t fit anymore. I was thinking I should just go home the next day but it didn’t seem right as the Geography Conference continued till Friday when I had planned to see Bruce and Val. As I prayed a thought struck me that I should go home the next day. There was something on the agenda of Conference that I did want to hear that day. Then the next day I would go home. I spent some time asking the Lord for confirmation as to when I should go home. (There was a lot more to the story than i am telling you now.) I then picked up my Bible to read my daily reading and the first word that I saw on the page was “tomorrow” (Exodus 8:10 – NASB). At first I thought it was confirmation but then I thought you should not do that with the Bible, randomly open a page, or look at a random word. That was not right. I wrestled with it for about 10 minutes and then decided to go back to reading the Bible “in the right way”.
I again asked God for confirmation and then picked up my Bible but instead of reading on the page on which I had read the word “tomorrow”, I deliberately started on the opposing page. The first word to hit my eye was again the word “tomorrow”. (Exodus 8:29. I thought, ‘This is crazy’ and wrestled with it again. My training had taught me not to do that. So I talked to God about it for a further 15 minutes and finished by asking again for confirmation. Was He saying I was to go home tomorrow or was this kooky? And what about seeing Bruce? If I went home the next day I would not get to see Bruce and Val and stay the night with them. I picked up my Bible again and within a minute I read the words “The Lord set a definite time saying, “Tomorrow. . . ” Ok Lord I give up. I believe you are talking to me. I will go home tomorrow even though it means not seeing Bruce.
Because I felt as though God was leading me very specifically in my reading thus far I kept reading for a few chapters when Exodus 13:17 hit me between the eyes. “God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, “The people might change their minds.” It seemed to me that verse had something to do with Bruce. That God was saying He didn’t want me to see Bruce or I might change my mind. I thought that is weird. It seemed as though I was reading all sorts of things into the Bible text and calling it guidance. This is not right. I have to stop.
I returned to Matamata the next day as instructed but have to admit my mind was filled with doubt when I passed the turn-off to Bruce’s house. I should just call in. It is crazy to interpret a Bible verse like that. God can’t mean that. Bruce is not a Philistine. But I had felt that verse was quickened to me by the Holy Spirit as the others had been. So obediently I went straight home to Matamata. Once home I called Bruce and told him I would not be calling in to see him on Friday as planned, but that I was already home. That God had sent me home. I told him I had wanted to tell him about how God had been leading us to work with Wycliffe. His comment left me stunned. He said, “That’s interesting Ian. Maybe God didn’t want you to meet up with me. I have become a bit of a Philistine in this last year and I may have poured cold water on your vision and your leading.” Those are the exact words Bruce said to me! I was stunned and AMAZED.
Some years later I was asked specifically to talk to a group Tertiary Student Christian Fellowship (TSCF) students at Melbourne University on a series of messages on the issue of Knowing God’s Voice and Guidance. I spoke the first week and they were so delighted they asked to add two weeks to the number of times I was to come and talk with them. On the second week I shared the story above of how the Lord had spoken to me that way and told me to leave Wellington early but not to go and call in on a friend. The meeting turned to chaos and they protested that kind of reading the Word of God. I told them I totally agreed with that principle of not opening your Bible randomly and reading whatever verse or passage you are looking at. I told them Exodus 8 was where I was up to in my Bible reading when all of the above started. I wasn’t the one adopting practices that were not “kosher”. It just simply happened like that. I too refused to believe that the final passage I read that seemed “quickened to me” in Exodus 13:17 related to Bruce but that was the first reaction I had – that God was warning me not to call in on Bruce. It was not until Bruce said the words, “I have become a bit of a Philistine in this last year and I may have poured cold water on your vision and your leading” that I was convinced. I then told Bruce what God had said and he told me more. I marvel at what God did that day, totally against accepted practices. But hey, it was not doing things the wrong way so to speak, that was how God had led me. The end result of my time with the TSCF students at Melbourne University was they didn’t want me to come back again for the extra two weeks they had added the week before. My time was over! It all makes me laugh now and I confess I laughed back then too. I don’t mind looking like a fool when it comes to the things of God.
I have asked Bruce for permission to share this story and he has given it to me. We both laughed about it at the time and since. It opened Bruce up to tell me more of what was going on. Bruce subsequently returned to the fold and is going on strong for God and His Kingdom. I am just simply relating another of the experiences I have had in following God and seeking His leading and direction for my life. But in this case, one that has stirred people up and sets the cat among the pigeons so to speak.
Yes God Himself sometimes breaks all the rules of guidance and leading and how you should interpret the Bible. Go with the prompting and quickening of the Holy Spirit and you can’t go wrong.
Well . . . getting it wrong is always a possibility.