GUIDANCE (SERMON AUDIO)

And amen get your Bibles with you. Go ahead and open up the Genesis 24 Genesis 24 is a transition chapter. We're transitioning from a record of the life of Abraham to his son the son of Promise Isaac. We want to talk this morning about Divine guidance. So let's get into the text. It starts this way. It says now Abraham was Oh, he was old well advanced in years last week. We saw that his wife Sarah had passed away at a hundred and twenty seven years old. Now. Abraham is left without his wife but he's got Isaac his son of Promise the Covenant blessing and guarantee that God has given him Abraham was old well advanced in years in the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. And Abraham said to his servant the oldest of his household who had charge of all that he had all this is Abraham's Chief of Staff. This is the guy that's taken care of all of his stuff and especially as he's getting older. I imagine he's been getting more and more responsibility to this servant. He calls him in. I need any says put your hand under my thigh that I may make you swear by the Lord the god of the heavens and the god of the earth weird having this is not a normal ordinary occurrence for any of us and most of us would be like no I'll sign a contract you can bring in a notary cuz that's how we do our pledges and our Oaths and Covenants. But this is an ancient near Eastern custom. Remember the Bible was written for us, but it was not written to us. This is one of those cultural realities that we've got to kind of put ourselves in their mindset to understand what's going on and let me just let me just say the Bible is a grown-up book for grown-ups already dealing with reality. And this is a grown-up visceral image. Okay. What's going on? Here is Abraham is going to ask him to go and find a wife for his son. He wants to guarantee that his son Isaac the son of promise we will continue on in the land will have a wife and that the promise and Covenants Abraham will continue. So that's the nature of the promise that he's that he's going to ask it so he comes because I want you to put your hand under my thigh. Literally. I want you to put your hand around my genital.

Why? Because it is the sign of fertility of Offspring. This is the nature of what he's asking him to do an end and he's asking him to do it in the presence of God. I want you to make a pledge and promise to me in the presence of God, not only the God of this little piece of land but the God of all the heavens and the God of all the Earth. Cuz that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I dwell. This is maybe on the surface. It looks a little racist like he's got something against these people based on ethnicity. That's that's really not what's going on Abram and Abraham now is dwelling in a land that God has promised him, but it's still occupied by other people as we saw last week up until this point are all he's only has one little well now he's got a well and a cave, but he can bury his dead. But he doesn't possess yet the land which God has given him that land is still filled with other people's and Abraham's concern and I think it's very valid and very watts is that if his son Isaac takes a wife from one of those peoples in the land. He will be assimilated into that people. That wife is he would bring from that land would leave him in a way from the Covenant keeping God to the gods of the land that it would bring confusion to the faithfulness of God and his promise. I want you to promise me that you will not get my son away from any of the people here. We need to make it clear. That God is starting a new people in this play.

This is but the go to my country and my Kindred and take a wife for my son Isaac. Which again I actually got laws against that kind of stuff generally. But in ancient cultures this was actually a fairly common practice. To make sure and Ensure.

that lineage in a in a family would continue into the future because I want you to go and I want you to find a wife from where I came from from my family and my people now this is not a religious thing. He's not saying we want to translate it into our time is not saying go find me a Christian wife for my son because his family did not

bet they knew of y'all way through him, but they were not followers of Yahweh. They had remained in the land. He had separated from them when God called him out of his father's household. Not a religious thing. This is a a familial cultural reality. He wants a wife from his people doesn't want confusion. the servant said to him

perhaps a woman may not be willing to follow me to this land. Servants, like you're asking really a big ask you want me to go far away? nnnn Go and show up and say Hey, I want to bring a woman back to my Master's Sun What what is she may not be willing to follow me to this Lane? Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came. Very reasonable concern of the servant. Okay. So if I show up and I'm looking for a wife for Abraham's son Isaac and they say well bring them here. What should I do?

And Abraham said to it see that you do not take my son back. There. He is. Absolutely adamant that Isaac the son of promised stay in the land of promise. I think Abraham has learn from his own mistakes. Abraham has made the mistake a couple of times in his life where she is walked away from the land. He's gone out and when he went out it did not go well. So whatever you do do not take Isaac out of the land stay here. Stay where God has placed us the Lord the god of the heavens took me from my father's house and from the land of my Kindred and who spoke to me and swore to me to your Offspring. I will give this land he will send his Angel before you and you shall take a wife for my son there. Abraham is after all the father of Faith. His faith is in God to provide what God has promised. God has promised not only a Offspring Isaac but that through Isaac all of the nations of the earth will be blessed through Isaac a great multitude. Will come in order for that to happen. He's got to have a way so Abraham is putting his faith in God. You just go whatever you do Isaac stays here, but you go will go before you already say that because God's angels put the showing up almost every chapter. God is absolutely involved in his Creation with his creatures. Success you trust that God is going to orchestrate this God has a plan and God will guide and lead and direct you where you need to go. This is a strong faith and confidence in the sovereignty of God. The sovereignty of God. Is that like to say large-and-in-charge? All right. God is large and in charge and

we have a role to play. He says this if the woman is not willing to follow you then you will be free from this oath of mine only. You must not take my son back there. The once once again we have in the scripture here this incredible tension between the sovereignty of God and the responsibility and freedom and choice of man. In other words God has this plan and Abraham has faith in that plan, but he understands that people have a role in to play in this to choose this as you go you trust the God is going to leave you there to the right person and when you find her she's going to have the choice now if she chooses not to get on on board with God's agenda. That's not on you at that point. You're free of this oath and you can come back but he repeats it only under no circumstances take my son out of this land.

So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.

the servant took ten of his master's camels depart and camels. I may not sound like a lot to you. But in the ancient world pain camel was a a display of well A display of success and blessing pen camels was a big deal and and he's going on a long journey. He he takes with him all sorts of choice gifts from his master and he arose and went to Mesopotamia to the city of nahor. Mesopotamia

and he Broods aram-naharaim literally around between two rivers. It's it's it's what we would call Modern Day Syria. All right. So you see they're starting down in the bottom there which is modern day Israel where they where they are and he's got to make his journey all the way up there through Wilderness and mountains and deserts. It is not an easy Journey all the way up to the city of nahor nahor might be a name that you're familiar with. It was the name of Abraham's grandfather and also one of his brothers was named nahor. This this town is associated with his family is probably named after his grandfather's grandfather probably founded the town and so it's no surprise that we find The Descendants and the relatives of Abraham in this town who takes these these 10 camels to take servants. He loves it up. And they make the long journey back. the land that God called Abraham from

When he gets when he gets there, he says he made the camels kneel down outside the city by The Well of water at the time of evening the time when women go out to draw.

Almost every town and Village in the ancient near East was situated this way that you did not build a town unless there was good water supply and every town would have a common well on the outskirts of the city so that people come in and out there able to get water for themselves get water for their animals that this is a vital necessity until he says he arrives there towards the evening time and when he gets there, he has the camels all kneel down. So this would make an impression. People would have seen him show up if they would have been one. Who's this Rich? Dude just showed up in our little town in the middle of nowhere. He causes his camels to line up and it's evening time the time when the women in those are not cultural reality the women would go and gather water. And they live in a hot arid climate much like ours and if you had to take a big jug and put it on your head and go out and fill it with water and then bring it back to your household. When would you choose to do it?

You choose to do it in the early morning or in the evening when it was cool as it could be. Reminds me of the story out of the gospels right when Jesus is standing at a well at midday High Noon the hottest part of the day and a woman comes out to get water. That would have caught your attention. That's not when people went out to get water evening time the women begin to come out. and a servant set Oh Lord. Remember when we when we see Lord and small-caps are capital letters in our Bibles. It's translating the Covenant name of God Yahweh. So he is praying to the god of Abraham. And now of Isaac to the Covenant. God has revealed himself. Oh Lord God of my master Abraham. Please grant me success today and show steadfast love. You my master Abraham. Steadfast love it's the Hebrew word. I said it's one of the most beautiful and difficult to translate Hebrew words that we find in the in the Old Testament. It it it sometimes translated as kindness it sometimes translated as love or compassion. Sometimes as loyal love. It's this it's a beautiful Rich profound word that is often used. As one of the defining elements of who God is God is has said he is loyal and loving and compassionate and kind and faithful. He is trustworthy and dependable.

until the servant cries out to God Oh God God of my master Abraham. Please grant me success today and show show your his said show your faithfulness show your loyal love and kindness to my master Abraham.

the whole I'm standing by the spring of water and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to dry water. Let the young woman to whom I say. Please let down your jar that I'm a drink and who shall say drink and I will water your camels. Let her be the one who you have appointed to your servant Isaac by this I shall know that you're shown steadfast love has said to my master.

You know what? We're 24 chapters into Genesis. And this is the first time the first person that's recorded that prays and asks for divine guidance.

Last night the unnamed servant of Abraham. He praised and he cries out and says God I'm here because of you. I'm not here on my own agenda. I'm here because of you. And I'm asking you got to honor your word to be faithful to who you are on the basis of your cassette your compassion your loyalty your love on the basis of who you are and what you've revealed for your servant Abraham. I'm asking for your guidance. I'm asking for your help. So here I am. I'm in this foreign land all these women are coming out. I've been given this mission.

It's all about your Covenant faithfulness and promise to God help me out. Here's what I'd like you to do guy.

I'm going to I'm going to walk up to a woman and I'm going to say can I have a drink? and if she lowers that she takes it off of her head and lowers it down and gives me a drink and then if she says Let me water your camels as well. Then I'll know that she's the one. That will be the sign.

What an inch do you pray that? I mean do you turn to God for his guidance and direction?

With that kind of faith. I'm not sure that we do. As much as we could and as much as we should I think far too often we lean on our own understanding.

Give it God God has called him into this reality. God is the one that has led him on this Sophia's looking to God. One of my old friends used to say God's will God's bill. Right when God calls he will provide this is this is his prayer God you called me to do this in and it's all these women coming out. Am I supposed to figure this out. I need you to help. I need you to help. appraise for God's guidance before he had finished speaking. I like that little detail and Freight, right and God's sovereignty. He's not even done praying. And here comes Rebecca.

The whole Rebecca who was born to Bethel the son of milka the wife of nahor. Rebecca interesting name in the Hebrew the same letters that spell out Rebecca spell the world word stall and it refers to stall fed cattle rather than wild grazing cattle and the difference between stall fed cattle grazing cattle with a stop at channel was always fatter, right? They got the choices made an idea in the Hebrew language this this word literally means Voice or well-fed. That wouldn't be a compliment. So the ladies. in our culture

Daenerys that was a compliment. She's a brick house. She's mighty mighty.

Rebecca comes out and sees she's beautiful. She's choice something about her captures the servants attention. M&M convert old that she was born to Bethel the son of milk of the wife of nahor. That means that Rebecca's grandmother was Abraham's brother's wife. She's Abraham's grandniece and Isaac's first cousin once removed.

She fits what they're looking for.

So Abraham, so that came out with her water jar on her shoulder. So she's got it. She's coming out to fill it with water. The young woman was very attractive in appearance. a maiden No, man, had no. Then just in the Hebrew as a redundant sentence a maiden literally a virgin, but just so we're clear. She's a virgin who no, man had no importance. That she's not been with another man. Because once again, we don't want the lineage of the Covenant promise to get confused. She's been with another man and she became pregnant who's to say but it wasn't the other man's and it wasn't Isaacs. What's up? Very attractive Maiden who no, man had no she went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. Jim was not an easy Journey. She's filling a large vessel with water. Voice it up and she Begins the journey back up to the Village. And servant ran to meet her and said, please. Your Tiny Tim's voice mail. Please give me a little water to drink from your jar.

Just pray this God this is so I'm asking when I go and ask someone for a drink. If they lower down and give me a drink and then offered to water my camels as well. I'll know that you're in this. She said drink my Lord. And she quickly let down her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink. When she can finish giving him a drink, she said I will draw water for your camels also until they have finished. Drinking now. I know you've all water camels before. pretty common No. Okay. Well, let me let me tell you a little bit about camel. They have humps and those humps get full of water and they can go a long time to the desert because they can store a lot of water. Camel ordinary camel that is just come off of a journey like this can in one sitting drinking up to 25 gallons of water.

There's 10 of them. do the math This is not a small thing that she's offered. But she sees him she recognizes he's not from around here. He's got all these camels. They're going to need to be watered. She offer willingly of rum. Hey, you're have a drink and just sit down and cool off a little bit. Let me water your camels for this was not an easy pass. This was significant. This would have taken a lot of energy a lot of effort and a lot of time.

She doesn't hesitate. This is something about who she is. It's revealing of her heart and her personality. She's incredibly hospitable. Which is important because Abraham is incredibly hospitable. As we walked through Abraham's life we've seen time and time again that the other peoples around him Hospitality not their strong suit. But Abraham hospitable to bring somebody in the Abraham's family to find a wife for Isaac. This is this is a key characteristic when he prayed this and Sagat let let this happen. I think it was intentional. Random. What should I ask what he's looking for to God? If it happens all know. Through this Hospitality. This is going to be a good fit.

So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran against the well to draw water and she Drew for all his camera.

Andaman gazed at her silence to learn whether the Lord had prospered his journey or not. So he's watching the Lord. The first Parts come true is is she really going to be the one he watches her and she does she Waters all of the camels. when the camels have finished drinking the man took up a gold ring. And at that Hebrew here is actually very specific. It's at the nose. Ring is very common in that culture. Sign of of beauty this nose ring ring wing a half-shekel and then two bracelets for her arm weighing 10 gold shekel. Maybe one for each camel. Gives her this ring puts down her nose gives her the two bracelets puts them on her arm. Anissa please. Tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night? So he's asking for the the right of a guess. Which would you host me whose father are you and is there place for me? She said to him I am the daughter of bethuel the son of milk whom she bore to nahor. So now he knows that this is actually the family line that he has been looking for. And she said we have plenty of both straw and fodder and room to spend the night.

the man bowed his head and Worship the Lord. Of course, he did God has sent him on this journey. They've arrived safely. He's asked God for his guidance for his direction for his provision. He says God help me, please. This is the only thing I can think of and what did not do. Took him right to the person.

What song is Bowser's had any worships the Lord and he says blessed be the Lord the god of my master Abraham who has not forsaken. His has said his steadfast and his faithfulness toward my master. worship As for me, the Lord has led me in the way to the house of my Master's Kinsmen. God has guided me me. He has helped me he has led me. God is my help. He worships.

Let me young woman ran and told her mother's household about these things. She runs ahead just got to let them know so they can prepare we got it's not just a servant. He's got other people with them. They got the pen panels. There's probably other donkeys and things as well. They got a lot of stuff she runs ahead so they can prepare.

Rebecca had a brother whose name was Laban. We're going to spend more time. Probably then we like with Laban in a few chapters. Laban ran out toward the man to the spring. And as soon as he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister's arm, it's a really interesting and important details begin to reveal a little bit of his character. We're going to see Laban is greedy.

Laban is not of the highest order of integrity. Leaving will do whatever he can to get as much as he can even comes out the moment. He sees that gold nose ring goes those heavy golden bracelets on his sister. He's like, yeah, they can come to our house.

God's sovereignty We'll use our strength. And God's sovereignty. Is not hindered by our scent. Blevins been motivated by greed here and your God making it happen. All right. So as soon as he saw it and heard the words of Rebecca sister, that's the man spoke to me. He went to the man and behold he was standing by the camels at the spring and he said, man. Oh blessed of the Lord because he uses the Covenant name of God. But he's not a worshipper of God, but let's be real clear on this. He's not he worships the dean's of that land up at area of his father's. But he knows of Abraham's Journey. He knows of the god that called Abraham. So he says blessed of Yahweh blessing of the Lord.

I prepared the house got a place for the camels. So the man came to the house and unharness the camels and gave straw and fodder to the camels. There was water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who are with him. So hospitality is being provided to take care of the animals. First is the servant and the other men there the feeder caked with dust and grime from the journey. We're getting water. The feet are washed. It's a refreshing beautiful sign of hospitality. Then food was set before them to eat. But he said I will not eat until I have said what I have to say. The servant I'm hungry. I've been on a long journey. I haven't had a good home cook meal in a long time. I put all this food before him cuz I'm hungry, but I'm not going to eat until I said what I came to say so late and says speak up. So he said I am Abraham's servant.

and I'm he's going to now repeat the whole story. I'm going to go through quickly cuz I want to I want to read it. But this is this is some this is what happens in oral culture. But they they they pass down their stories orally. One of the ways that they do that to help with memorization and to make sure that it stays true is it it's highly repetitious and nature. So now the servant is going to give a very detailed account of what has happened. For us it seems a little repetitious but for them it was significant. He said I'm Abraham servant the Lord is greatly blessed my master and he has become great is given in flocks and herds silver and gold male Servants of female servants camels and donkeys Sarah. My Master's wife bore a son to my master when she was old and to him. He has given all that. He has my master made me swear saying you should not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I'd well, but you should go to my father's house and my clan and take a wife or my son. I said to my maps perhaps the woman will not follow me, but he said to me the Lord before whom I have walk will send his angel with you and prosper your way. You still take a wife for my son from my clan and from my father's house. Then you will be free for my oath when you come to my clan. And if they will not give her to her. You will be free from meiosis. Well, I came today to the spring and I said, oh Lord the god of my master Abraham. If now you are prospering the way that I go hold I'm standing by the spring of water, but the Virgin who comes out to dry water to whom I shall say. Please give me a little water from your jar to drink and who will say to me drink and I will drop him and camels Also let her be the woman from the Lord has appointed for my Master's Sun. Before I finish speaking in my heart behold Rebecca came out with her water jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and Drew water. I said to her, please let me drink. She quickly went down or drive from her shoulder and said drink and I'll also give your camels drink also, so I drank and she gave the camels drink. Also, I asked her daughter are you she said I'm the daughter of the fuel they horse on Formica for to him. Do I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arm I bowed my head and Worship the Lord and bless the Lord the god of my master Abraham would let me buy the right way. To take the daughter of my Master's Kinsmen for his son. Now if you are going to show steadfast love and faithfulness to my master. If you will have her set. If you will show faithfulness to your Kinsmen Abraham. I just told you the whole story of God's faithfulness got the cough of what's going on. If you will respond, please tell me and if not tell me that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.

then Laban and fuel answered and said this thing is come from the Lord. We cannot speak to you bad or good. In other words, they're saying it's above my paygrade. Like this story that you just told us that don't happen on a regular basis and a current like that's an amazing amazing guidance and Providence of. They say what you just told us God put us together. We can't say whether it's good or bad.

The whole Rebecca is before you take her and go let her be the wife of your master's son just as the Lord has spoken.

When Abraham servant heard their words he bowed himself to the Earth. Before the Lord he literally Crossing get down on the ground in awe. Enjoy. The life. God has guided him. I provided exactly what got to ask. The servant brought out jewelry of silver and a gold and garments and gave them to Rebecca. He also gave to her brother and she her mother costly ornaments. That might have been just a simple sign of generosity. It might have been culturally part of a marriage contract.

the buses and he and the men who are with Him ate and drank and they spent the night there. when they Rose in the morning, he said send me away to my master. Her brother and her mother said that the young woman remain with us awhile at least 10 days. after that, she makeup the 10 days is probably colloquialism. They're probably asking for a longer. Of time right thing with us for a while. We want to we want to have our last time with Rebecca. We want to stretch out. We want to here's my guess. Laban wants more stuff. That's Maya staying with us for a while a way of asking for a longer. Of time. But he said to them don't delay me. Since the Lord has prospered my way. Remember what we said yesterday. This is God's deal. So don't delay me send me away that I may go back to my master. And they said let us call the young woman and ask her fascinating cuz that is completely countercultural for them culture. Rebecca wouldn't have a choice from the beginning of this chapter God and and through Abraham and said listen, this is what God is doing. But she's got to make a choice. In many ways Rebecca is mirroring. What Abraham did when Abraham was dwelling in Mesopotamia? God called him and said follow me. And Abraham said I will go. Now Rebecca is being called by God to come to the land of promise to become the matriarch of the family to marry Isaac and she is given the choice.

Let's call the young woman and ask her and they called Rebecca and said to her will you go with this man? And she said just like Abraham. I will go. I will go. Heard the call of God. I will go. So they sent away Rebecca their sister and and her nurse one of her clothes servants and Abraham servant and his men and they blessed Rebecca and said to her. Beautiful blessing that seems really weird us our sister. May you become thousands of 10,000? But the sign of prosperity may you have children upon children upon children upon children. May you may you be blessed may or may you prosper?

Our sister may become thousands of ten thousands and may your Offspring possess the Gate of those who hate him.

May your Offspring May your children possess the gate they have victory over those that oppose them of those that hate him fascinating because this is the exact blessing that God gave Isaac. In Genesis 22 God asked Abram Abraham to sacrifice Isaac and then got it the last minute stop them and provided the ramp and then God came and blessed him. This is what God Said. I will surely bless you. I will surely multiply your Offspring as the stars of heaven and is the saint that is on the seashore.

And your Offspring shall possess the gates of his enemies and in your Offspring show all the nations of the earth made my voice. The parallel skier art. They're put there on purpose. It's fascinating that the same blessing that God has pronounced over Abraham. And Isaac is now pronounced from Godless relatives over Rebecca who's going in to join the family.

And Rebecca and her young woman Rose and rode on the camels and followed the man. That's the servant took Rebecca and went his way.

Now Isaac had returned from the Airline Highway.

Names familiar to you should be if that's that's the well where God met Hagar and Ishmael and rescue them. That's what has been down to this well, and it doesn't tell us what is he visiting Hagar and Ishmael? He still related to and who have stayed in that area. Remember Ishmael grows up and becomes an Archer a great skilled Archer and hunter gets wells in that area. Isaac's been down there and tell us if he's visiting with them. Who knows what's going on. We do know this. He's still grieving the loss of his mother. He knows what his dad is up to nobody sent off the servant to find him a wife.

Might be a little bit nervous about that. Isaac and returned from their thyroid and was dwelling in the Negev. And Isaac went out to meditate. In the field towards evening meditate like Hebrew word there. It's a it's a word of worship the word that we find mostly in the Psalms meditation involves. Considering Yahweh. And then expressing the results of that process. He goes out into the field and then a hard day of work.

meditate thinking about the faithfulness of God. What's he thinking about you thinking about how his mom gave birth to him when she was old old. Woody woody meditating in the field about the time his dad took him as a young man to the top of Mount Moriah and raised the knife while he was bound on an altar. And God and his faithfulness rescued. He's meditating on who God is and what God has done on God's to said God's faithfulness. And I like this so much imagery here that takes us all the way back through Genesis lifted his eyes up and behold there were camels coming to the Hollywood Hallmark music cuz this is as cheesy as it gets y'all this is amazing.

Rebecca Rebecca lifted up her eye. And she saw Isaac she got down off her camel.

And she said to the servant who's that tall drink of water?

Who is that man walking in the field to me. If this is a rom-com. This is he's in the field. She's on the camel.

Who is that in a servant said that's my master? That's the one. So she took her veil and covered herself to be part of the marriage ceremony part of the Bridle custom of the day. Oh, that's him.

covers our cell

a servant told Isaac all The things that he done I'm glad that he didn't repeat the whole story again would have made a really long chapter really believe what happened. Listen to what God has done.

here she

then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother. I took Rebecca and she became his wife and he Hallmark moment loved her.

This is beautiful. Good story diamonds and their participation in God's plan and it's beautiful. He brings her into the tens of Sarah's mother as Isaac is going to become the patriarch from Abraham. Rebecca is going to become the matriarch from Sarah. He brings her and he marries her to come together and he loves her.

and Isaac

Like every good mama's boy. Was comforted after his mother's death.

my beautiful story

about God's guidance.

I was meditating thinking about the story. And what does this have for us? I think it has a lot for us. especially in these terms of guidance you and I need God's help. The bee the people that God has asked us to be. And do the things that God is asking us to do. God has put a call on us. That's not the call to make a physical Geographic journey and find a Bry. The God has put a call on us. He called us to be Salt and Light. He's call us to be ministers and ambassadors of reconciliation. He called us to be peacemakers. He's call us to shine his light in the darkness of the world. And if you have any grasp or understanding of that call, your first response should be I don't think I can do that.

Like the servant we need God's guidance. I need it. Don't you need it? Are you not more aware of that need today than you were 6 months ago?

One of the blessings of going through this season is that it's ripped apart are false sense of security and a sense that we can pull off life on Ro. And frankly, that's a gift. That's a good thing. You should hold on to that and hang on to it as long as you can. Because one of the challenges of living in Western culture like we do is that we can easily deceive ourselves that we are the masters of our own life. That we can do life without God. We can lean on our own understanding. The story reminds us were not designed to function in attack in Independence were not autonomous beings. We are made to be dependent upon sign by our creator to do life with him.

in the choice is our Throughout the chapter God's sovereignty man's choice The question is not will. Guide the question is not will God help the question is will you ask will you listen, will you obey?

When we turn and trust in God when we need his help.

We just helping big things. We need his help in Little Things.

Let me ask you a question. Maybe it's a little bit of meddling.

Have you prayed about who you're going to vote for?

Let me ask it this way. Have you prayed? And ask God who he wants you to vote for. Cuz I'm not sure that's how most of us pray. Most of us come up with who we're going to vote for and then we pray and ask for God to help that person win.

That's not fair.

That's not this kind of Prayer. That's not a Biblical faith.

I want to challenge you if you haven't voted yet. the ascott god would you like me to vote for?

Surprise me. Instead of going to God and say hey, I have a good idea. This guy should leave. Why don't you make it happen?

Why wouldn't we ask an actually listen? Why would we not lean on our own understanding and acknowledge God in all of our ways and ask for his help?

And it can be voting in a presidential election. It can be deciding what college to go to it can be about challenges with raising your kids. It can be across the board. All me.

And that's important. It's it's in the context of God's calling. That we can lean upon his guidance and provision.

Outside of his calling God's under absolutely. No obligation to provide. forgot

so this is this is what protects us from that.

insane heresy of the Prosperity Gospel What treats God like the ultimate piggy bank? So God give me this God give me that. Make this happen. That's not what we found in this story Abraham in the servant compelling and controlling God. This was Abraham and the servant acknowledging God serve a sovereign and asking for his help in the context of doing God's will it's got bill. But outside of the context of God's will your on your own? That's not a place that you want to be.

experiences in my life like this God does this kind of stuff? . Still active today wasn't one of the challenges of dealing with the Old Testament the Hebrew scriptures that we read it and go got used to do that stuff. They don't do it anymore. Nice story, but it's not for me.

Twenty-some years ago got called me to plant a church. Something way bigger than I was prepared and able to do on my own. But I stepped out in faith in follow. We're living in Portland. Oregon got called me to plant it downtown. You know where you're seeing all that stuff on the news. That's where I was.

Don't forget it. We're in the beginning stages and got it called and I stepped out and

I mean it in Big Time. Feh. No salary, we reached out for support from some different groups and there was some stuff happened but nothing was happening yet, but I knew got it called me. So we're just moving. We're just moving and I remember I was downtown walking through the area praying and asking for God to lead and I came across this little office space and I had a little for rent sign in it. I went in and I talked to the guy to tell me about the space and it was unbelievably cheap. It was in the back of a printing company and so it smelled a little bit like printing a so nobody wanted to place my life.

Mike said it would be $600 a month.

I don't think I had $600 in my checking account at the time literally don't think I did. And I knew, God spoke to me in the moment. I want you right here. And so I said I got ya I'll take it and I sign the contract on the spot. And then I walked out and I said to you what did I just do? Hack number to remember just okay God. I hope that wasn't indigestion. I hope that was really you. And if it was got to I need you to do something cuz one is going to kill me.

I'm not sure. I told her that night what I've done. And I pray God, please provide. Couple hours later a friend called me. I want to take you out for dinner. All right, cool and seen him for a while. We went out to dinner. We're catching up. And he was pretty well. Is pretty Wella and the whole time I'm gone. Maybe I should ask him for some money. And I wasn't good at that at the time. I have no problem with that now. I don't like have God's call. I got no problem asking you can always say no, but I'll have it at the time. I just I mean throughout the whole meal, I believe but I didn't believe I just I couldn't do it. That's why I didn't do and I'm glad I didn't because at the end of the meal. He looked Migos and I'm really excited about what you're doing takes a lot of faith. Thanks, man. He goes. I'm God spoke to me this morning the same day that I done it that spoke to me this morning and I'm supposed to give you this me slides me an envelope across the table. Like I don't know what to do. Like that's an awkward thing right like always looks good in the movies, but you don't supposed to take it out and read it in front of it and I supposed to like, I don't know what to do. I just pay can I put it in my pocket and he's like So we say goodbye. He goes to his car I go to my car. I can't wait like soon as he drives away. I'm pulling it out. And I open it up. I pull out a check for $5,000. I just unbelievable How can I provide it and it's interesting? Cuz I was only in that place in that office space for about five months before God provided another place, right?

God will guide. If we're called by him, if we're doing what he asked us to do, I'm not talking about you can control God and compel him to give you what your heart desires I'm saying when God calls you he will provide and give you what he's asking you to do. Put the story shows us and it's beautiful and it happens. I'm not sure that we do that enough in our culture.

Psalm 32

love this song verses 8 to 10 God speaking and sis I will instruct you.