What makes sense to you?

2 Opinions 3: 5 Blessed are those that have everything figured out or stop trying.

Does life make sense to you? Are you still trying to figure how this planet works? Or
have you given up by now?

Let’s face it, life is confusing at times. Some times, just when I think I have
everything all figured out, everything turns upside down. Can you relate?

The more I read the Bible, the more I realize that what used to make sense to me no
longer does. Should I blame God for this confusion? I don’t think so. I believe that
mankind, generally speaking, has been guided by the devil, who has pervaded our
society leading us to run counter to the ways of the Lord. Sound strange?

Ephesians 2: 1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many
sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the
commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts
of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the
passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were
subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

Jeremiah 10: 21 The shepherds of my people have lost their senses. They no
longer seek wisdom from the Lord. Therefore, they fail completely, and their flocks
are scattered.

Adam and Eve never had this problem, they had an intimate relationship with their
Creator and it all made sense to them, that is until the deceiver showed up one day.
It made sense for her try take a bite of the fruit, right? As a matter of fact, she was
convinced:

Genesis 3: 4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that
your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing
both good and evil.”
6
The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit
looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of
the fruit and ate it.

You’d think she’d know better, the devil directly contradicts God’s Instruction, she
seems to be seduced by the fruit and she just had to eat it, didn’t she? Does this
sound familiar to you? Can you relate to this?

12
Proverbs 14: There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in
death.
Did it make sense for Noah to build the boat, even though it had never rained
before then? (Gen. 6)

Did it make sense for Abraham, the promised father of nations, to sacrifice his son?
(Gen. 22)

These are both great examples of times when God asked his servants to do
something that went against logic and they obeyed God. Let’s look at an example
of disobedience:

1 Samuel 13: 7 …Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling
with fear. 8 Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him
earlier, but Samuel still didn’t come. Saul realized that his troops were rapidly
slipping away. 9 So he demanded, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace
offerings!” And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself.

He just couldn’t wait could he? But how much longer?

10
Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to
meet and welcome him, 11 but Samuel said, “What is this you have done?”

Apparently not much longer; and why did he disobey?

Saul replied, “I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn’t arrive when you
said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle. 12 So I said, ‘The
Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal, and I haven’t even asked for the
Lord’s help!’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came.”

Saul was surrounded by dreadful circumstances, but if only he could’ve waited a

little longer. The message I get from this is that Saul’s heart was motivated more by
fear than by God. There were miraculous events that led him to be king and he was
given a golden opportunity to lead God’s chosen people and he blew it because he
just couldn’t wait long enough. It’s tragic, isn’t it? But God uses this act of
disobedience to set the stage for king David, one whose heart is for God.
13
“How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the
Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your
kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has
sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the
leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”

This is what I receive from this: When my heart is for God, I willingly choose to obey
Him, but if my heart is hard, not wanting to submit to Him, I’d just as soon do what
seems right to me and not obey Him.
This is why I think it is most crucial to do whatever we can to keep our
hearts soft. I really don’t think we are much use for God when we have hard
hearts. This reminds me of this:

John 15: 5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and
I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

Try telling this to your unregenerated co-worker, he’d give you the strangest looks,
wouldn’t he? But for the one who desires God the most, this makes the total sense.

Proverbs 20: 24 The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything
along the way?

As a friend of mine likes to say “Who can argue with logic like this?”

Will you trust God to give you the sense you need to stay close to Him?

“Dear Lord, thank you for loving me and showing me the way to eternal life. Before
you, Lord, my life didn’t make a whole lot of sense, but with your Word I can see
more from your perspective and I can take comfort in that. For you are sovereign
and are in total control. This gives me hope. Please continue to guide me down your
path Lord, the one that leads to life. In Jesus name, amen.”