Godly Decision Making (Numbers 9:8)
And Moses said to them, “Wait, that I may hear what the Lord will command concerning you.”
—Numbers 9:8
This is a simple verse that portrays a powerful truth and, really, a potent challenge for every one of us in our lives and in all the decisions we make. So Moses, as the leader among God’s people, is listening to questions about what the people of God should do in certain circumstances.
The people of God are saying, “Okay, we should do this.” And Moses says, “Wait, I want to hear what the Lord commands before anybody acts.” How great is that instinct—that impulse. Before making any decision, Moses says, we need to inquire of the Lord first. We do not do this off the cuff, in our own thoughts or according to our own ideas. We want to make sure we are doing exactly what God wants us to do. That is wise decision-making.
That is the impulse that should drive all our decision-making. Before you make a decision—specifically, a significant decision—inquire of the Lord: “God, what do you want me to do? God, lead me. Please guide me. Please direct me.”
Obviously, this will look different with different kinds of decisions. If you are going out to eat for lunch or dinner, it is not as though you must spend an hour in prayer over that decision. You could, perhaps, but probably not. Still, it is a good impulse to say, “God, I want to follow you in everything I do today, including where I eat for lunch or where I go for dinner. I want you to lead me, guide me, and direct me.” So keep saying that to the Lord.
When it comes to decisions we make in our lives—about our families, marriage, parenting, the church, work, and our future—it is a good instinct, one God desires for us to have, to pause and look to him and say, “God, what do you want me to do? I want to do whatever you want me to do. Please lead me, God. Please guide me. Please direct me. What do you want me to do?”
In particularly significant decisions, we should spend concentrated time in prayer—fasting even. Set aside food for a day or longer and say, “God, more than I want food, I want to do your will. I am pressing in and praying: please lead me, please guide me.”
I am guessing that, among all of us listening today, there are many decisions we will make—some small, some very big. Some of you may be on the cusp of major decisions, wrestling through difficult questions. So let us hear God telling all of us: “Look to me and ask, and I will show you. I want your good more than you do, and I will lead and guide you if you will just inquire of me.”
So let us do that.
O God, we seek you. We inquire of you. Just as Psalm 27 says, “One thing we ask”: we want to behold you in your glory and to inquire in your temple.
You are all-wise; we are not. You know what is best for our lives in ways far beyond what we know. You are good. You are all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-loving. So we ask: What do you want us to do? Lead us. Please guide us in every decision we make. Grant us, we pray, the wisdom you promise to those who seek you.
Order our steps and our decisions in ways that are not only good for us but also good for others. Lead us today to places and to people where we can be salt and light and share the gospel. We know this is your will for our lives—to point people to you. Help us to build up the body of Christ and to lead others to Christ.
A Prayer for the “E” People in China
We also stand in the gap in light of your declared will that your glory and your gospel be known among all the nations. We pray for the “E” people of China, a small people group in southern China with little to no believers. Please, God, make your love known among them in China, that they might behold you in your glory and inquire of you through faith in Jesus Christ.
We pray all this in his name. Amen.
