Mar 19, 2026 – Decisions
Power – Joyce addresses my lamenting over my washer/dryer purchase that I mentioned yesterday, “Some people make decisions too quickly, others make them too slowly, some make them unwisely, and some don’t make them at all. Life is filled with decisions…. Even people who won’t make decisions are still making a decision not to decide.” Here’s the key, “If we make right spiritual decisions – deciding to put God first in all things – then the rest of our decisions will be easier. Making decisions in a wise and timely manner is vital to our peace and success in life.” I did talk with Don about the purchase and we didn’t act impulsively in the moment, but we did ultimately decide fairly quickly that the timing and the price were good. So it doesn’t seem that this doubt is from God.
JC comforts and advises me on this subject as well, “I speak to you from the depths of your being. Hear Me saying soothing words of Peace, assuring you of My Love. Do not listen to voices of accusation, [even my own] for the are not from Me. I speak to you in love-tones, lifting you up. My Spirit convicts cleanly, without crushing words of shame…. Let My Light shine in you; don’t dim it with worries or fears…. Pause before responding to people or situations, giving My Spirit space to act through you. Hasty words and actions leave no room for Me.”
Romans 8: 1-2 – “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”
Streams – Cowman shares Ann Shipton’s thoughts, “Waiting on God and abiding in his will is to know Him in ‘the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings’ (Phil. 3:10) and ‘to be conformed to the likeness of his Son’ (Rom. 8:29). Therefore if God’s desire is to enlarge your capacity for spiritual understanding, do not be frightened by the greater realm of suffering that awaits you. The Lord’s capacity for sympathy is greater still, for the breath of the Holy Spirit into His new creation never makes a heart hard and insensitive, but affectionate, tender, and true.” My doubts help me understand and be more patient when other people have doubts about their decisions.
Simpson – “Launch out into the deep” (Luke v. 4). Simpson adds his thoughts about decision-making, “Many difficulties and perplexities in connection with our Christian life might be best settled by a simple and bold decision of our will to go forward with the light we have and leave the speculations and theories that we cannot decide for further settlement. What we need is to act, and to act with the best light we have, and as we step out into the present duty and full obedience, many things will be made plain which it is no use waiting to decide.”
God cares about even the small details and decisions in our lives; so, it’s no small thing to be concerned about being wise and discerning and respectful of what He would want for us. Simpson continues, “Beloved, cut the Gordian knot, like Alexander, with the sword of decision. Launch out into the deep with a bold plunge, and Christ will settle for you all the questions that you are now debating, and more probably show you their insignificance, and let you see that the only way to settle them is to overleap them. They are Satan’s petty snares to waste your time and keep you halting when you should be marching on.”
Utmost – Hebrews 11:8 – “He went out, not knowing whither he went.” Chambers offers this perspective, “In the Old Testament, personal relationship with God showed itself in separation, and this is symbolised in the life of Abraham by his separation from his country and from his kith and kin. [talk about a decision that could be questioned!) ….Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One Who is leading. It is a life of faith, not of intellect and reason, but a life of knowing Who makes us ‘go.”
Chambers continues, “The final stage in the life of faith is attainment of character. There are many passing transfigurations of character; when we pray we feel the blessing of God enwrapping us and for the time being we are changed, then we get back to the ordinary days and ways and the glory vanishes. [and we again begin making our own unassisted decisions, without God or even without Godly counsel] The life of faith is not a life of mounting up with wings, but a life of walking and not fainting. It is not a question of sanctification; but of something infinitely further on than sanctification, of faith that has been tried and proved and has stood the test. Abraham is not a type of sanctification, but a type of the life of faith, a tried faith built on a real God. ‘Abraham believed God.’”
Max tells about God’s communication with and guidance of us, “Up until the miracle on Mount Sinai, [Exodus 31:18] God had spoken to his creation…. But the miracle on Sinai inaugurated a new era of God’s written Word…. In doing so, God gave us this promise: he will guide us…. Many of us are not privy to personal, divine conversations. But we can have a Bible. We can read God’s decrees through his written Word. We can inspect and reflect upon them personally and endlessly. When you set your heart toward becoming a person of the Bible, you can trust God’s promise that he will show you the way you should go.”
Prevail #79 – Larson bases today’s devotion on 1 Kings 19:13 when Elijah fell into a season of self-pity, “We sometimes find ourselves in a predicament through no fault of our own. Oftentimes, while in that place, we make reactionary choices based on a faulty perspective. Yes, times were tough for God’s prophet. But self-pity had set in because he believed he was the only one left who followed God…. While God is patient with our frailties and compassionate about our weaknesses, He doesn’t tolerate our self-sins because they’ll kill us and diminish our God-given influence…. Holy confidence and humble dependence are great safeguards for your heart.”
JA – “When there is much to do, it’s tempting to rush through your time with Me and dive into the activities of the day. But just as eating a healthy breakfast helps you function at your best, so does feeding your soul a healthy diet of Me…. Your living relationship with Me helps you approach each new day with confidence – ready for anything [and any decision] that comes your way.” Perhaps that’s why, after talking with Don, I felt confident to move forward with the w/d decision. This had been on our minds for a while so we had been watching for sales (and we got a good one). I’ve heard Joyce Meyer talk about going shopping for a specific need and God leading her to shop where He had her provision. That is the kind of faith and relationship with God we should strive for because it gives us Peace in our decisions.
