PRE-421-421. Giving God Full Control

421. Giving God Full Control

Giving God Full Control

by David Wilkerson

September 26, 2005

[May 19, 1931 '96 April 27, 2011]

Most readers know that the Supreme Court of the United States has ruled the Ten Commandments cannot be displayed in any government courthouse. This landmark decision has been covered exhaustively by the media. But what does the ruling mean?

A courthouse is where laws are enforced. And the Ten Commandments represent God'92s moral law, which never shifts or changes. It is as fixed as the law of gravity. If you defy that law, it'92s like stepping off a high building. You can deny that the law affects you, but there are consequences sure to be paid.

Simply put, the Ten Commandments are eternal laws designed by God to keep society from destroying itself. Yet, amazingly, many sand-blasting companies are at work right now grinding away those Commandments '97 as well as God'92s name '97 wherever they'92re engraved in courthouse marble or concrete.

What a telling picture of the state of our society. These unchangeable laws were originally engraved in stone by the very finger of God. And now they are being erased from stone by the law of man.

I hear some Christians saying, '93What'92s the big deal? We'92re not under the law. Why should this be an issue?'94 I cringe when I hear this. No, we'92re not under the Hebrew law, meaning the 613 additional commandments added by Jewish rabbis. But every Christian is under the authority of God'92s moral law, which is summed up in the Ten Commandments. No believer can justify committing adultery, theft or murder.

I wonder what goes through God'92s mind as these sand-blasters erase his laws from before our eyes. Again, some believers claim, '93We don'92t need these displays of the Commandments. All that'92s really necessary is for us to have them written in our hearts.'94 That'92s not what God'92s Word says. Consider the very visible presence God intended for the Commandments as they were delivered to his people:

'93These words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart '85 and thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates '85 and [thou] shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up'94 (Deu_6:6; Deu_6:8-9; Deu_6:7).

The awful fact is, ungodly forces in our society have rejected God. All mention of him is now being removed from our schools, our courts, our public institutions. And soon these same forces will attempt to outlaw the words '93One nation under God'94 from the Pledge of Allegiance.

I believe this madness will not go unanswered for long. I'92m convinced God is going to act quickly. Take for example what has happened in Europe recently. Last year the European Union tried to force a constitution that blatantly rejected God and defined Europe as secular. The decree failed, but those spearheading it will surely be back; they won'92t give up until the name of God is renounced through all of Europe. They have made their intentions clear, stating in essence, '93Let God have his heaven. Give us the earth. Keep religion out of our faces.'94

The fact is, if you don'92t want God in your midst, he doesn'92t simply go away. Consider what has happened in Europe since that constitution was introduced. Germany and France face massive unemployment. Welfare costs are soaring. Governing bodies are paralyzed, and there is incredible confusion all around. Yet these are only the beginnings of even greater fear and chaos to come upon any people who reject God outright.

Now the same anti-God spirit that'92s at work in Europe is at work in America and it ought to grieve us. The Bible offers warning after warning on this matter. Why did God judge Noah'92s generation by sending a flood? Why the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah? It all happened because of lawlessness. The Bible says that in those societies every person became a law unto himself, and the godly anguished over it. Lot, who lived in Sodom, was vexed daily by his society'92s lawlessness (see 2Pe_2:8).

We see God'92s ultimate plan for a lost, lawless world at the dawn of Israel'92s history.

By the close of the Book of Genesis, God had chosen a small, insignificant people to become a teaching nation. He wanted to raise up a people who would be living examples to the heathen world of his goodness. So, to bring about such a testimony, God took his people into places that were beyond their control. He isolated Israel in a wilderness, where he alone would be their only source of life, caring for their every need.

Israel had no control over their survival in that desolate place. They couldn'92t control the availability of food or water. They couldn'92t control their destination, as they had no compasses or maps. How would they eat and drink? Which direction would they go? And where would they end up?

God would do it all for them. He would guide them every day by a miracle cloud, one that glowed at night and dispelled the darkness before them. He would feed them with angels'92 food from heaven and provide them with water from a Rock. Yes, every single need would be supplied by the Lord, and no enemy would be able to defeat them.

'93Out of heaven he made thee [Israel] to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee'94 (Deu_4:36). God'92s people would hear his very words guiding them, and in turn they would testify, '93Who is there of all mankind who has heard the voice of the living God?'94 (see 4:32'9634).

The nations surrounding ancient Israel were filled with '93other gods,'94 idols made of wood, silver and gold. These gods were mute, unable to see or hear, unable to love, guide or protect the people who worshipped them. Yet any one of those nations could look to Israel and see a special people whom God carried through a terrible wilderness. They would see a God who spoke to his people, who loved and felt, who answered prayers and provided miracles. Here was a living God, one who guided his people in every detail of their lives.

This was the very reason God raised up Israel: to show a heathen world what the true, living God was like. As he looked upon the nations, he saw a human race filled with violence and lawlessness, crying pitifully to gods that couldn'92t help them. It was a world filled with restless, striving, wicked-minded people, who wandered astray like sheep without a shepherd.

So God raised up a people who would be trained by him. There had to be a people who lived under his authority, who would trust him completely, giving him full control of every aspect of their lives. That people would become his testimony to the world.

Why would God want full control of a people? Why did he insist on their complete trust in all things? It was because only God knew the way. He alone knew their future and had the power to bring them into his full rest. And he would perform the impossible that was needed to get them there.

This is why Israel was placed in situations they couldn'92t control. They faced trials they couldn'92t understand, tests that were beyond their strength to cope with. God put them in these crises to invoke their faith. He wanted to bring them through these experiences to build their confidence, so that no matter what the future held, they could say, '93God has delivered us, and he will deliver us again. He brought us through the plagues of Egypt, and out of the bondage of Pharaoh. All glory to the Lord in our present crisis.'94

Beloved, this is still the way God produces faith in his people. He brings us into fiery trials that we can'92t survive in our own strength. We face troubles that can'92t be solved except by miracles of deliverance. You see, like Israel we'92re destined to be God'92s '93trophy people.'94 He wants us as his examples to a lost world: a people brought to the end of themselves, who see before them impassable mountains, uncrossable seas, impossible wilderness experiences, and who declare, '93This is all beyond me. It'92s going to take miracles to see me through. I can'92t cope with it on my own, and I can'92t reason it through. No person or institution can deliver me. The Lord is my only hope. I have to give him full control of my life and future. I'92m going to trust him in all my ways.'94

So, which choice did Israel make? They responded with outbursts of mistrust and unbelief '97 ten such outbursts, in fact. And finally, God said, '93Enough.'94 Consider the Bible'92s summation of them: '93They could not enter in because of unbelief'94 (Heb_3:19). Sadly, those ancient Israelites didn'92t become examples of a people who wholly depended on their Lord, but rather examples of unbelief.

According to the prophets, God would send his own Son to raise up a last-days people who would be wholly dependent on him.

This last-days people would be raised up by Christ himself. And they would be governed by God, led by the Spirit, and wholly yielded to the Lord in every area of life. Jesus demonstrated this for us, living wholly dependent on the Father. He appeared not merely as the last Adam, but as the last '93pattern man,'94 the ultimate example of what God had been searching for: one who would give the Father full control of his life.

'93For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me'94 (Joh_6:38). '93Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do '85 I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me'94 (5:19, 30).

We know Jesus was utterly dependent on the Father, and he is our example of yielding and trust. Indeed, he makes clear that such a life is possible for us. Most Christians are in agreement, saying, '93Yes, that'92s how we should strive to walk. We ought not to live with fear and anxiety, trying to solve our problems on our own. Rather, we should place our lives and cares in his hands.'94

If we actually lived this, God should be the captain of our souls by now. But is he? For many in the church, the answer is a clear no. We sing songs about Jehovah Jireh, our provider, and we quote all the names of God '97 El Shaddai, Adonai, Jehovah, Elohim '97 as well as the glorious names of Christ: Messiah, Lord of lords, King of kings. Yet as soon as our next crisis arises, we mourn and question God'92s faithfulness. And we give in to doubt and fear, relying on our wits to find an escape.

Many Christians read the Bible regularly, believing it is God'92s living, revealed Word for their lives. Over and over in the pages of Scripture, they read about generations who heard the voice of God. They read of God speaking to his people again and again, with this phrase repeated time after time: '93And God said'85'94 Yet these same Christians live as though God doesn'92t speak to his people today.

An entire generation of believers has come to make decisions completely on their own, without praying or consulting God'92s Word. Many simply decide what they want to do, and then ask God to validate it. They move ahead forcefully, their only prayer being, '93Lord, if this is not your will, then stop me.'94

We'92re now living in a time referred to as the '93blink generation.'94 People are making major decisions in the blink of an eye. A best-selling book has been written on this concept, titled Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. The theory is, '93Trust your instincts. Blink-of-the-eye decisions prove to be best.'94

Think about all the hurried-up '93blink language'94 we hear every day: '93This is an offer of the century. You can make a bundle overnight. But you have only a short window of opportunity. Get on it now!'94 The driving spirit behind it all is, '93Blink, blink, blink!'94

Such thinking has begun to infect the church, affecting the decisions made not just by '93blink Christians'94 but by '93blink ministers.'94 Scores of bewildered parishioners have written to us telling the same story: '93Our pastor came back from a church-growth conference and immediately announced, '92As of today, everything changes.'92 He decided we would become one of the popular trend churches overnight! He didn'92t even ask us to pray about it. We'92re all confused.'94

Just a few years ago, the watchword among Christians was, '93Did you pray about this matter? Have you sought the Lord concerning it? Are your brothers and sisters surrounding you in prayer? Have you received godly counsel?'94

I ask you, has this been your practice? In the past year, how many important decisions have you made where you honestly took the matter to God and prayed sincerely? Or, how many of those decisions did you make '93in the blink of an eye'94? The reason God wants full control of our decision-making is to save us from disasters '97 which is exactly where most of our '93blink decisions'94 end up.

How do we give God full control of our lives?

There is no formula for living wholly dependent on the Lord. All I can offer to you is what God has been teaching me in this area. He has shown me two simple things about how I'92m to give him full control.

First, I must be convinced the Lord is anxious and willing to make his will known to me, even in the smaller details of my life. I have to believe that the Spirit who abides in me knows God'92s will for me, and that he will guide me, lead me and speak to me.

'93When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth'85 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you'94 (Joh_16:13-14). Jesus is telling us that the Holy Spirit will convey to us the mind and will of God. '93When he shall hear (your voice), he will answer thee '85 Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it'94 (Isa_30:19; Isa_30:21).

Maybe right now you'92re in the midst of some affliction, perhaps one that has been caused by a blink decision. Even so, the Lord promises you, '93Your inner ear will hear my Spirit speaking to you, '92Go that way. Do this. And don'92t do that'85'92'94

Secondly, we have to pray with unwavering faith for power to obey God'92s direction. Scripture says, '93Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord'94 (Jam_1:6-7).

When God tells us to do something, we need power to stay the course and obey him fully. Over five decades of life in ministry, I'92ve learned that Satan and the flesh will always plant doubts and questions in my mind. And I need strength from heaven not to say '93yes'94 to any situation when Jesus has said '93no.'94

Many of us pray, '93Lord, I know what you told me. But I'92m still not sure that was your voice speaking. In fact, I'92m not sure I'92m spiritual enough even to recognize your voice. Please, just open or close the door for me on this matter.'94

That'92s not the faith response he'92s looking for from his children. You can pray all you want, for hours or even days at a time, weeping and pleading. But if you don'92t pray with faith '97 believing the Holy Spirit will guide you, as Jesus has promised '97 you will never have the mind of God conveyed to you. He waits until he sees you'92re committed to accepting whatever he says, and obeying it without question. Our response to him must be, '93Lord, you are the Captain of my salvation. Your will be done in my life.'94

At times, God may ask you to do something that'92s utterly unreasonable. For a country preacher like me, it was absolutely unreasonable to leave my small town to come to New York City to preach to gang members. It was against all reason for me to be told, '93Go to Brooklyn, to the Fort Greene housing projects, and witness to the Mau Mau gang.'94

There was only one reason I went: because God said to do it. That was where I met Nicky Cruz. Now, decades later, the hundreds of thousands who'92ve come to Jesus as a result of that unreasonable direction continue to multiply.

God does not deceive his people; he has promised to make his will clear to all who seek him. And when we'92ve given him full control of our lives, we'92ll hear his voice behind us, saying, '93This is the way, beloved servant. Now, walk in it with confidence. I have everything under control.'94

By: David Wilkerson