Daily PresenceSample

At some point every school year I have to have a discussion with a few of my students about asking for permission versus asking for confirmation. A student may come up to me and ask, “Mr. Banks, may I just do this classwork later for homework?” I reply, “No. It is classwork to be done in class.” They often reply: “But, I don’t feel like it!” or “But I can just do it later.” I rebut, “So, when you originally asked, were you asking for permission or confirmation?” This leads to a wonderful and constructive discussion about proper and mature conversation habits.

Throughout the Bible we see similar situations: Eve with the apple, Jesus and the rich young man, and Jeremiah and the military leaders. People ask for something, are given an answer they didn’t want, and do what they wanted anyway. These people weren’t looking for guidance, they were looking for confirmation. When the people came to Jeremiah asking for guidance, their hearts were not truly ready to hear what Jeremiah had to say. They had a plan in mind and were going to Jeremiah to commune with God to see if God would confirm their feelings. When He didn’t, they became angry and ultimately decided to do what they wanted in the first place.

God is not our magic eight ball. He is not there to be shaken and turned until we receive the answer we are seeking. He provides us with clear and definitive guidance. Yet, our hearts and feelings are fickle things. Our flesh hates to be refined and challenged. Yet, oftentimes what is best for us is to be pruned and refined. This can be a painful process, but our fleshly desires often lead to being uprooted and thrown into the proverbial fire. Pruning is painful, but so is growing endurance. Working out causes our muscles to ache, but it is only so they will grow. Allow God to prune you where you need it even if it’s not what you feel like you want. Ask for guidance and He will provide. Be sure to listen.