Then he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.”

Genesis 24

Then he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.” Genesis 24:12-14

Day 10 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) focuses on Abraham's efforts to find a wife for his son Issac.

Abraham seeks to find a wife for Issac who is not from among the local Canaanites as the Canaanites worshiped pagan gods, so he sent his senior servant (Genesis 24:2-10) back to his father's land in Mesopotamia to Ur (see map here).

Of note here is the faith of Abraham's servant - who prays for a sign from God that he has indeed found the one who is to return with him to marry Issac.  This calls to mind the topic of how to divine God's will in decision-making.

I have often referenced Romans 12:2 as the key verse to draw upon for how a God-pleasing decision is made.  John Piper's post here also helps greatly in terms of expanding on thoughts I have on this topic.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and You have transformed my heart and life - thank You Jesus for blessing me beyond what I deserve by giving me more patience, etc.  I love You.  Yet I am undeserving of the blessings You pour out on me.  I sin...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Plae provide Godly friends ans spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Now let the fear of the Lord be on you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.

2 Chronicles 19

Now let the fear of the Lord be on you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery. v7

Jehoshaphat appoints judges in Judah and is careful to point them to the Lord for their wisdom.

Solomon recognized this:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7

We must understand that we are not to go God for wisdom in big decisions but in ALL decisions and for ALL of our life.  This requires transformation of the mind.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

It is this DAILY renewing of the mind that should be our focus as this will serve to help God mold our hearts and minds into His image.

See also this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God whose wisdom far surpasses my own understanding and it provides for all of my needs and I would be lost without You and Your Word.  Thank You Jesus for loving me despite my sin.  I am not worthy - I worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Then the king said to his men, “Do you not realize that a commander and a great man has fallen in Israel this day? And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his evil deeds!”

2 Samuel 3

Then the king said to his men, “Do you not realize that a commander and a great man has fallen in Israel this day? And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his evil deeds!” v38-39

After Saul dies, the commander of Saul's army, Abner - initiates a power struggle with David to determine who should rule over both Israel and Judah.  However, ultimately Abner determines that he should not fight the Lord's anointed.

May God deal with Abner, be it ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the Lord promised him on oath and transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish David’s throne over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beersheba.” v9-10

David and Abner strike an agreement to peaceably transfer power of Israel from Saul's house (Abner) to David.  Abner then leaves David in peace.

Joab - who was not present to the agreement - feels that Abner is an enemy and he cannot be trusted so he - on his own accord - makes the decision to kill Abner.  David makes his displeasure known.  

For us, a key lesson here is to avoid our impulsive nature and to seek the Lord's guidance - explicitly with regard to significant actions and decisions that will have lasting consequences.  

Contrast this with David's repeated inquiries of the Lord with another one in 2 Samuel 2:

In the course of time, David inquired of the Lord. “Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” he asked.

The Lord said, “Go up.”

David asked, “Where shall I go?”

“To Hebron,” the Lord answered. v1

My sense is that we should be in a daily relationship with Jesus so that in the little things we know what to do (see also Romans 12:2) and go to Him explicitly with the bigger things.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an awesome God You are!  You are Truth and I am lost without You.  Thank You for your guidance.  I am not worth such love.  I often neglect my relationship with You. Please forgive me and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

1 John 4

We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood. v6

There are false prophets among us, there is the world and if we stray from God our own actions deviate from the desires of God.  We make decisions - big and small - every day - and the influences around us are critical.  We must make God first and He must surround us in our daily lives.

For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:21

 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;  

in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life and I know that no one comes to the Father but through You.  Thank You for the many, many ways You bless me.  Yet I often pursue idols - please forgive me!!  I love You and I desperately need You and desire You to reign in my life.  Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.