Many a time, we come across crisis and situations that may seem too difficult for us to comprehend and know what exactly to do. Sometimes, these normally happen when we receive divine directions that beat the power of our imaginations and understanding and executing such tasks seem totally impossible, confusing and difficult in nature.
In the wake of such crisis, confusions and helplessness and in an attempt to seek clarifications and understanding, we are tempted to speak to men for either advice or professional counselling. This is the where the danger lies. Most of the time, the people we tend to speak to may not know the mind and will of God about the situation and they will just give you general advice and or give you their professional points of view.
So then, the question is: should we seek divine directions in difficult times or we should go for professional counselling or both? What should we do in knowing the will of God? What is God’s Will in your current situation?
Have you ever heard the voice of God outlining clear directions to you but you ended up being confused, worried and needing more answers to your questions? Well, let’s read a scenario in the Bible and let’s do some discussions here.
Let’s Read Judges 13: 1-25
Once again Israel sinned by worshiping other gods, so the Lord let them be conquered by the Philistines, who kept them in subjection for forty years.
2-3 Then one day the Angel of the Lord appeared to the wife of Manoah, of the tribe of Dan, who lived in the city of Zorah. She had no children, but the Angel said to her, “Even though you have been barren so long, you will soon conceive and have a son! 4 Don’t drink any wine or beer and don’t eat any food that isn’t kosher. 5 Your son’s hair must never be cut, for he shall be a Nazirite, a special servant of God from the time of his birth; and he will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines.”
6 The woman ran and told her husband, “A man from God appeared to me and I think he must be the Angel of the Lord, for he was almost too glorious to look at. I didn’t ask where he was from, and he didn’t tell me his name, 7 but he told me, ‘You are going to have a baby boy!’ And he told me not to drink any wine or beer and not to eat food that isn’t kosher, for the baby is going to be a Nazirite—he will be dedicated to God from the moment of his birth until the day of his death!”
This Inspirational Story Will Make You Cry, Read: Help Me To Steal
8 Then Manoah prayed, “O Lord, please let the man from God come back to us again and give us more instructions about the child you are going to give us.” 9 The Lord answered his prayer, and the Angel of God appeared once again to his wife as she was sitting in the field. But again she was alone—Manoah was not with her— 10 so she quickly ran and found her husband and told him, “The same man is here again!”
11 Manoah ran back with his wife and asked, “Are you the man who talked to my wife the other day?”
“Yes,” he replied, “I am.”
12 So Manoah asked him, “Can you give us any special instructions about how we should raise the baby after he is born?”
13-14 And the Angel replied, “Be sure that your wife follows the instructions I gave her. She must not eat grapes or raisins, or drink any wine or beer, or eat anything that isn’t kosher.”
15 Then Manoah said to the Angel, “Please stay here until we can get you something to eat.”
16 “I’ll stay,” the Angel replied, “but I’ll not eat anything. However, if you wish to bring something, bring an offering to sacrifice to the Lord.” (Manoah didn’t yet realize that he was the Angel of the Lord.)
17 Then Manoah asked him for his name. “When all this comes true and the baby is born,” he said to the Angel, “we will certainly want to tell everyone that you predicted it!”
18 “Don’t even ask my name,” the Angel replied, “for it is a secret.”
19 Then Manoah took a young goat and a grain offering and offered it as a sacrifice to the Lord; and the Angel did a strange and wonderful thing,20 for as the flames from the altar were leaping up toward the sky, and as Manoah and his wife watched, the Angel ascended in the fire! Manoah and his wife fell face downward to the ground, 21 and that was the last they ever saw of him. It was then that Manoah finally realized that it had been the Angel of the Lord.
22 “We will die,” Manoah cried out to his wife, “for we have seen God!”
23 But his wife said, “If the Lord were going to kill us, he wouldn’t have accepted our burnt offerings and wouldn’t have appeared to us and told us this wonderful thing and done these miracles.”
24 When her son was born they named him Samson, and the Lord blessed him as he grew up. 25 And the Spirit of the Lord began to excite him whenever he visited the parade grounds of the army of the tribe of Dan, located between the cities of Zorah and Eshtaol.
When God Speaks Directly To You By Voice, Dreams Or Revelations, Dreams, Etc.
No one can walk with God and understand Him to the fullest without these two important elements: Faith and Obedience. In Hebrews 11:6, the Bible said that it is impossible to please the LORD without faith.
God is a wise God. And because He is an all knowing and wise God who knows the end from the beginning, we sometimes find it difficult to understand some instructions according to our own imaginations, thoughts, experience, knowledge and professional learning.
The Will of God is not subject to any human influence and imagination but according to His own timings and leadings.
Manoah and his wife have been praying and praying for the fruits of the womb. The wife has been barren for a very long time. The good news about her pregnancy came with a mystery; a difficult to understand and implement instructions. The good news was a direct message given from an angel but it was too puzzling in their human minds.
Manoah and his wife did something spectacular. Instead of seeking professional medical views about how to bring up this strange baby, they went back to God and prayed for more insight on what to God. Most of the times, people make a mistake by consulting a fellow human being to explain what God has directly told them.
It is only God alone that can better explain His own will, plans, directions and revelations to you. No one can really tap into the full will of God and understand it so it is better to listen to God and go to Him for explanations rather than running to men. In 1 Corinthians, 13:9, the Apostle Paul said that for we know in part and prophesy in part. To understand the will of God concerning your life, sometimes, you need to go back to God Himself for explanations but not the one who knows in part.
In Genesis 26, God told Isaac to start planting in times of drought when it seemed a stupid idea. It was against prudent economic policies. Professionally, it was wrong and no expert will advise that Isaac should go into farming when all crops and animals were dying. It took Isaac obedience and faith to activate the blessings of God in his life.
When Crisis Surface
God said: For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”, Jeremiah 29:11
It is important for you to know that it is never the intention of God to hurt His children. God always has a better plan for us but He can decide to use any means to achieve His plans for us and that is where we get it all wrong. When things are falling apart in your life, you may change your prayer direction and start praying against the devil without knowing that it may be the Hand of God working in your life through problems to bring you honour and glory to His name.
In times of trouble, confusing and difficult times, seek the will of the Lord. Pray and seek His face for direction.
In Jeremiah 33:3, the Bible: Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’
When God Directs You To People For Divine Counsel
Sometimes, you may be going through some terrible times where you may need people to encourage you, share their experiences with you and tell you the mind of God. During those times, you should be led by the Holy Spirit to the right persons for divine counseling or advice. It is not everyone that is qualified to listen to your story.
In Matthew 2, the Bible gave accounts of the wise men who, being led by the star, but along the line decided to seek direction from men and ended up asking King Herod for where the Messiah was born. Their mistake of asking the wrong person led to the killing of over 2,000 innocent babies. Though such massive massacre was predetermined and prophesied about earlier, there are many people that are still making the mistakes of asking the wrong people to advise them to know the will of God.
In Acts 9:17, God Himself directed Ananias to go and pray for Saul. In Luke 1:39-45, Mary, through divine leadings, visited Elizabeth and her faith was whipped up.
Be careful who you share your story with in times of crisis. Some people are dream killers. They are just waiting for you to tell them what is happening in your life and they will determine what will be the outcome of your dreams.
What To Do In Crisis And Difficult Times To Know The Will Of God
- Keep on trusting God and have faith in Him
In Proverbs 3:5-6, the Bible said trust the Lord with all our hearts and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.
Trust God to deliver you in times of trouble and your worst moments. Let God be in charge and in control.
- Talk to God in Prayer.
In Jeremiah 33:3, God said call unto Him in times of trouble and He will show you great and mighty things. Know that it is time to know the mysteries of God whenever things aren’t falling in their rightful places.
- Know that God has better plans for you (Jeremiah 29:11).
God has better plans for you to prosper you and to give you an expected future. It is never God’s plan to punish His children for no wrong doing.
- Learn to Worship God in your afflictions:
In Job 1:20, the Bible declares that Job, after hearing all the distasteful news about the great loss of his business and children, fell flat on the ground and worshipped the Lord. Worshipping God in your worst moments is a way of telling Him whether we are alive or dead, richer or poorer, we belong to the Lord (Romans 14:8).
Do you Know God’s will in crisis and difficult times and situations? Share your experience with us.
Before You Leave, Enjoy This Inspirational Article That Will Make You Think Twice: 10 Ways To Know You Are A Blessing To People
