GM Beloved Hearts,
I trust you are having a wonderful day. I was just thinking about scripture that God gave us older women that mandates that we are to teach the younger women.
Titus 2:3 3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
It’s not that we older women are better in any way, it’s just that we’ve already had many of the same experiences that younger women are now having, and have already experienced the outcome of the decisions that we made. Yes, that includes both the good decisions as well as the bad ones.
Some older women are reluctant to teach as God commanded. They are inclined to just shut up and let the young women find out how life goes for themselves. They feel that way because so many younger women resent being told anything from older women. It’s easier for us to just be quiet, sit in our rocking chairs and watch the outcome of questionable decisions. But where is the love in that? Where is the obedience to God’s Word? Besides, I’m not a rocking chair kind of person.
Yesterday I saw a video of a precious young woman who was crying out to God concerning an action that she had just made and a step that she took. She openly posted on FB so I felt that she was crying out for help, support, and validation of her actions. She went through a potentially life-threatening experience for both her and her child. Her interpretation of her experience was that the devil was angry because of a critical decision that she had just made. She decided that, because of this negative experience, her decision must have been right because the devil was mad. Well, without trying to lead anyone’s life or without trying to tell anyone what they should do, I offer the following suggestions.
First of all, find out if there is a medical basis for the bad experience. It could happen again, you know. (First the natural and then the spiritual 1 Cor. 15:46.) Next, please know that every bad spiritual experience is not necessarily from the devil. When you cry out to God for an answer, and then you take an action before you hear from God, it is quite possible that a negative experience that you have is from God. He told me once, “You don’t have an answer until I give you an answer.” He may be saying, “NO! that is not what I want you to do.” Or, “Wait! Don’t run ahead of me!”
The Bible says in Jeremiah 29:13 “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” When you are seeking God for an answer and you don’t know what to do, you must wait on God for your answer. You cannot move until He makes it clear what it is that you are to do. It’s also important to search for your answer from Him with your whole heart. You can’t pray one of those “drop down on one knee and get up on the other” prayers. Get down to business with God. If you’re saved you know how to pray through.
My heart went out to the young woman because I felt the sincerity of her desire to obey God. But sweethearts, we cannot obey God until He tells us what it is that we are to obey. You can’t rush Him and try to make Him tell you what you want to know until He is ready to tell you. I am not saying whether the young lady’s decision was right or wrong. My little lesson for today has to do with the fact that we cannot allow the devil to convince us that a life-threatening experience is always from the devil. It may be God’s “NO!” or His “Wait!”. Remember that Daniel had to wait three weeks for his answer from God but it came. One of the provisions for our safety that God has provided is the counsel of wise men and women. We must use our resources.
Many have suffered shipwreck because they asked God for an answer, then impatiently did what they thought was right. The devil loves to push his ugly head into everything, so don’t let him trick you when you are close to an answer from God. Wait, I say, upon the Lord.
These are the words to an old hymn that I learned as a child that may be applicable to this lesson:
You can’t hurry God, no
You just have to wait.
You have to trust Him and give Him time,
Lawd, no matter how long it takes.
You know that he’s a God you can’t hurry.
But He’ll be there don’t worry.
You know He may not (may not)
Come when you want Him but he’s right on time.
Love you,
Sis. Freet