Go or Stay?
Should I go or
should I stay? A common question. How to determine whether to move ahead on
something? By nature we all
have our tendencies. Am I shy and
retiring or bold and adventurous? Do I
fear change or welcome it? How does my
background inform these choices? Am I
coming off a string of disappointments or victories? There are so many factors influencing how we
make life's important decisions.
Moses recounts the
story of the children of Israel coming out of slavery and into the promised
land. They were the shy and retiring
kind. God had given them clear and
specific promises. He would lead them
into a land flowing with milk and honey.
Deuteronomy 1: 21
"See, the Lord your God has placed the land before you; go up, take
possession, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has spoken to you. Do not fear or be dismayed." (NASB95)
Even though the Lord
Himself had told them to "Go" they decided to "Stay".
They were controlled
by their fears. The obstacles appeared
too great. They left God out of the
equation.
Deuteronomy 1: 26-32
26 “Yet you were not willing to go up, but
rebelled against the command of the LORD your God;
27 and you grumbled in your tents and said,
‘Because the LORD hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to
deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us.
28 ‘Where can we go up? Our brethren have
made our hearts melt, saying, “The people are bigger and taller than we; the
cities are large and fortified to heaven. And besides, we saw the sons of the
Anakim there.” ’
29 “Then I said to you, ‘Do not be shocked,
nor fear them.
30 ‘The LORD your God who goes before you
will Himself fight on your behalf, just as He did for you in Egypt before your
eyes,
31 and in the wilderness where you saw how
the LORD your God carried you, just as a man carries his son, in all the way
which you have walked until you came to this place.’
32 “But for all this, you did not trust the
LORD your God,
New American
Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Dt
1:26–32.
God's people focused
on the problems and ignored God's promises and provision for victory. This displeased the Lord, especially their
lack of faith. Ironically, if you read
the account carefully you will see that when the Lord wanted them to
"Go", they dug in their heals, but when he wanted them to
"Stay", they wanted to move ahead!
Certainly we do not
want to be like them. How can we, as New
Testament believers trust God more fully and embrace His will more
enthusiastically? We have a greater
revelation of God in Christ, a complete Bible, and the filling of the Holy
Spirit to guide and empower.
Here are a couple
questions we should ask ourselves when we ask, "Should I go or should I
stay?"
- Do we know the Scriptures well enough to be able to discern God's will in a variety of situations?
- Which promises from God apply?
- What do we know about God's character which might inform us?
- Am I truly willing to do God's will?
- Are my personal preferences dictating my decisions?
- Is my flesh in control?
- How does this decision advance God's Kingdom?
- Does it help fulfill the Great Commission? (Mt 28:18-20)
- Is it motivated by the Great Commandment? (Deut 6:5)
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