S) "24 And they prayed and said, 'You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen 25 to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.' 26 And they drew lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles."
Acts 1:24-26 (NASB)
O) After Judas betrayed Jesus, the apostles referred to some Psalms and determined it best to replace the twelfth position among them. They used wisdom to narrow their selection down to two men (Joseph and Matthias), but didn't want to make the final decision without consulting God more directly. They prayed, asked God to reveal His will in the lots they drew. This practice was much more common by the priests throughout the Old Testament, in the absence of a true prophet. However, this is the last biblical reference to using lots for a decision like this. The very next event recorded in Acts, which is a historical book about the beginning of the church, is the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon them. At that point, using lots to discern God's will was immediately antiquated. What we see in this passage, though, is a perfect example of seeking the will of God. The apostles went to Scripture first (v.20), then they used wise counsel (vv.21-23), then they prayed.
A) To be sure, my primary source for understanding the will of God is, and ever will be, the Bible itself. It is authoritative and sufficient for all righteousness (see 2 Timothy 3:16). But, supposing I have two options in my life, neither of which contradict Scripture at all. and they seem equally good by wise counsel, then prayer is the next step. There are dozens of verses in the New Testament that refer to the Holy Spirit leading us, and there is every reason to believe that He would operate the same way, now. I must be careful not to rely on my "feelings" through prayer, but that is why seeking the direction of the Holy Spirit comes after the circumstance has already been evaluated using Scripture, and then wise counsel. God may very well still want me to take one option over another, and prayer is the next step in this process.
P) Father, You are so faithful. I know Your provision in this way, because I have been through these kinds of situations, and over and over You have shown Yourself to be trustworthy and faithful. Even now, there are things in my life, especially my desire to move to Montana, where I truly want Your will to be revealed. Moving my family hundreds of miles is not addressed in Scripture. At least, it's not directly addressed. So far, everyone that has heard this plan, seems to agree that it could be good. Really, to make this happen, it would take Your miraculous intervention. If Your will is different, I trust You will make it clear to me. I do not want my judgment clouded by my emotions, though. Give me open ears and eyes, to know Your will expressly. I submit to Your decisions, even before I know them. You are my King, and I will obey. Help me to be patient, and to focus on obedience in the here and now. Let Your will be done. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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