.006 Have You Heard?

This chapter, the final chapter of Hungry for God, takes us through the journey of decision making. This is often one of the most difficult tasks of our daily lives. You’d think that, since we are constantly making decisions, we’d be very good at it. But all too often, decisions stymie us.
 
I’ve often thought that life would be much simpler if God would simply tell me what to do. I’ve known people who believed that God did that for them. They could hear God’s voice as clear as day. And the statement, “God told me _______________” (you fill in the blank) made complete sense.
 
In fact, Gary and I had a woman in one of our churches for whom God chose her dining room set. I jest not. She was truly grateful for this wonderful blessing in her life.
 
That’s never been my story. And so, I rely on other things to guide my decisions. And I like the questions that Feinberg uses to guide her decision-making process.
 
Do these questions work for you? Which ones most resonate with you? Which do not? And why?
 
Have you had experiences in which you have felt God’s leading? Have you made decisions that made God’s head shake in amazement over your every move?
 
Feinberg’s look at Mary’s  “treasuring all these things, pondering them in her heart,” encouraging us to do likewise, makes me ponder something else. When Feinberg writes, “The words God speaks are sacred and are often meant just for you,” I agree. But tying this all together with the idea that sometimes we’re wrong in our understanding of what God is telling us, cause me concern about us misinterpreting the messages of God. If we’re keeping it all to ourselves because we think we’re not understanding God’s messages, we’d be much better off running our thoughts by someone else wiser than ourselves. A mentor, a pastor, a teacher, an elder. Someone who has known and followed this God a long, long time might be a good place to start.
 
I do like Feinberg’s concluding thoughts on the danger of focusing on our disappointments. She warns that if we do this, we might miss out on “the divine appointments God has for us.” She writes, “When I look back on my mistakes, I’m still grateful for what God showed me through them.”
 
I pray that your life has been full of many joys and blessings. And when it has not, I pray that God has blessed you with many lessons worth learning!
 
Peaceful thoughts for your week,
Tam
 
P.S. Next week will bring the concluding thoughts for our book, as we take a look at the closing section, “Hungry Still.”