Title: Why Do I Keep Missing God's Will? Meta: Many times people set out on a course to glorify God and do His will. But they get frustrated when it doesn't go as they planned or it doesn't seem to prosper. They get left in a place to where they feel like they don't even know if they can trust the Lord or not. But the problem many times is that what they set out to do wasn't actually God's will. Deep down inside they were really seeking their own will and hoping that God would jump on their agenda. If we're going to walk in the will of God and be blessed in what we do, we need to be sure that our wills are sincerely surrendered to God no matter what He calls us to. Tags: will,desire,God,direction,counsel 1 00:00:05,108 --> 00:00:08,240 "Dear Pastor Tim, 2 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:15,802 How to distinguish our true calling 3 00:00:15,802 --> 00:00:19,745 from our desire 4 00:00:19,745 --> 00:00:22,327 or Satanic involvement?" 5 00:00:22,327 --> 00:00:24,574 So hear the question. 6 00:00:24,574 --> 00:00:26,990 "How to distinguish our true calling..." 7 00:00:26,990 --> 00:00:29,180 what should I do in life? 8 00:00:29,180 --> 00:00:33,260 This may even come down to decisions that we make. 9 00:00:33,260 --> 00:00:36,705 But how can I distinguish my true calling 10 00:00:36,705 --> 00:00:39,844 or what God wants me to do in life, 11 00:00:39,844 --> 00:00:42,745 or what He wants me to do 12 00:00:42,745 --> 00:00:44,465 making certain decisions, 13 00:00:44,465 --> 00:00:49,631 how can I determine His will 14 00:00:49,631 --> 00:00:52,951 from my own desire - 15 00:00:52,951 --> 00:00:56,880 like my desire being self-willed. 16 00:00:56,880 --> 00:00:59,358 Not in accord with His desire. 17 00:00:59,358 --> 00:01:02,251 "...Or even satanic involvement." 18 00:01:02,251 --> 00:01:04,176 Being guided by the devil. 19 00:01:04,176 --> 00:01:05,616 Maybe being influenced 20 00:01:05,616 --> 00:01:09,190 or impressions or something. 21 00:01:09,190 --> 00:01:12,734 "As Proverbs 16:3 goes, 22 00:01:12,734 --> 00:01:16,029 'Commit thy works unto the Lord, 23 00:01:16,029 --> 00:01:20,916 and thy thoughts shall be established.'" 24 00:01:20,916 --> 00:01:22,847 Now listen to this. 25 00:01:22,847 --> 00:01:25,729 "In the past few years, 26 00:01:25,729 --> 00:01:28,180 I have certain goals..." 27 00:01:28,180 --> 00:01:30,198 So, this is what he's coming down to 28 00:01:30,198 --> 00:01:31,558 as far as calling. 29 00:01:31,558 --> 00:01:35,112 He says he's got certain goals at work, 30 00:01:35,112 --> 00:01:38,888 certain goals as far as relationships, 31 00:01:38,888 --> 00:01:43,577 and certain goals as far as ministry. 32 00:01:43,577 --> 00:01:45,433 Then he tacks this on the end. 33 00:01:45,433 --> 00:01:50,636 "...To honor God and consistently pray for." 34 00:01:50,636 --> 00:01:53,702 So, he has these goals: 35 00:01:53,702 --> 00:01:56,383 work, relationships, ministry, 36 00:01:56,383 --> 00:01:58,572 that he says are to honor God, 37 00:01:58,572 --> 00:02:02,391 and he consistently prays for these things. 38 00:02:02,391 --> 00:02:04,072 He says, "I saw things..." 39 00:02:04,072 --> 00:02:05,831 that he thought were desirable... 40 00:02:05,831 --> 00:02:08,996 "...in my mind, and desirable..." 41 00:02:08,996 --> 00:02:10,540 as far as he's concerned, 42 00:02:10,540 --> 00:02:13,149 "in glorifying God. 43 00:02:13,149 --> 00:02:16,433 But at the end, they turn out 44 00:02:16,433 --> 00:02:19,456 to be desperate situations." 45 00:02:19,456 --> 00:02:22,231 They go bad. 46 00:02:22,231 --> 00:02:25,321 "I sometimes feel like I'm losing hope 47 00:02:25,321 --> 00:02:27,683 and heart in God. 48 00:02:27,683 --> 00:02:29,972 I even start to doubt myself 49 00:02:29,972 --> 00:02:37,204 on initiatives to start off these goals." 50 00:02:37,204 --> 00:02:38,714 I think what he means there is 51 00:02:38,714 --> 00:02:40,422 I even start to doubt as far as 52 00:02:40,422 --> 00:02:43,083 taking initiative towards any goals 53 00:02:43,083 --> 00:02:45,502 that have to do with relationships 54 00:02:45,502 --> 00:02:47,724 or work or ministry, 55 00:02:47,724 --> 00:02:52,523 because I've tried and they turn into 56 00:02:52,523 --> 00:02:57,248 desperate situations. 57 00:02:57,248 --> 00:02:58,965 "And I feel like I'm losing hope 58 00:02:58,965 --> 00:03:02,571 and heart in God." 59 00:03:02,571 --> 00:03:07,974 So, how do you distinguish 60 00:03:07,974 --> 00:03:10,748 God's will or a true calling 61 00:03:10,748 --> 00:03:13,913 from something that's our desire 62 00:03:13,913 --> 00:03:20,787 or satanic involvement? 63 00:03:20,787 --> 00:03:24,207 Now, here's the thing that struck me. 64 00:03:24,207 --> 00:03:26,850 Obviously, I have time to read these things over 65 00:03:26,850 --> 00:03:29,133 three or four times. 66 00:03:29,133 --> 00:03:33,015 But I got to think about this. 67 00:03:33,015 --> 00:03:34,817 Listen to what he says: 68 00:03:34,817 --> 00:03:37,336 "Commit thy works unto the Lord, 69 00:03:37,336 --> 00:03:39,365 and thy thoughts shall be established." 70 00:03:39,367 --> 00:03:42,849 Now, he's taking a text: 71 00:03:42,849 --> 00:03:45,058 "Commit your ways unto the Lord, 72 00:03:45,058 --> 00:03:47,292 and your thoughts shall be established." 73 00:03:47,292 --> 00:03:50,866 Now, he throws that verse out, 74 00:03:50,866 --> 00:03:52,945 but then in the end, he says, 75 00:03:52,945 --> 00:03:55,135 the thing works out terrible 76 00:03:55,135 --> 00:03:57,776 and he's losing hope in God 77 00:03:57,776 --> 00:04:02,992 and heart in God. 78 00:04:02,992 --> 00:04:05,213 Does anybody see a problem with that? 79 00:04:05,213 --> 00:04:07,362 You know, the way I think he takes 80 00:04:07,362 --> 00:04:08,847 "commit your ways to the Lord, 81 00:04:08,847 --> 00:04:11,090 and He'll establish your thoughts," 82 00:04:11,090 --> 00:04:13,728 the way I think he takes that 83 00:04:13,728 --> 00:04:16,981 is well, I figure out what I want to do. 84 00:04:16,981 --> 00:04:23,020 I take my ways - the way I want to go, 85 00:04:23,020 --> 00:04:24,722 and I take it to God, 86 00:04:24,722 --> 00:04:26,925 and I expect Him to jump on the bandwagon 87 00:04:26,925 --> 00:04:28,440 and bless it. 88 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:30,250 And if He doesn't, then I get upset. 89 00:04:30,250 --> 00:04:32,052 That's basically what's happening 90 00:04:32,052 --> 00:04:34,117 to this guy here. 91 00:04:34,117 --> 00:04:40,202 And I think Ulysses can tell something 92 00:04:40,202 --> 00:04:50,983 about distinguishing, 93 00:04:50,983 --> 00:04:53,844 just simply by looking at how 94 00:04:53,844 --> 00:04:56,086 he's responding in the end. 95 00:04:56,086 --> 00:04:57,636 I mean, let me ask you this. 96 00:04:57,636 --> 00:05:01,781 If your way is truly surrendered to the Lord; 97 00:05:01,781 --> 00:05:03,868 if you bring your ways - 98 00:05:03,868 --> 00:05:05,839 not that you've already got figured out 99 00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:07,913 what you want to do, 100 00:05:07,913 --> 00:05:13,631 but you bring your ways to the Lord 101 00:05:13,631 --> 00:05:16,255 in the sense that: 102 00:05:16,255 --> 00:05:18,452 Lord, I'm surrendered 103 00:05:18,452 --> 00:05:20,515 as far as my ways go, 104 00:05:20,515 --> 00:05:22,819 I think this is what You might have 105 00:05:22,819 --> 00:05:26,941 me to do, but I'm not sure, 106 00:05:26,941 --> 00:05:29,698 so I'm acknowledging You in this 107 00:05:29,698 --> 00:05:32,692 and I'm bringing my ways to You. 108 00:05:32,692 --> 00:05:34,218 You see, the thing about Him 109 00:05:34,218 --> 00:05:35,830 establishing my thoughts is that 110 00:05:35,830 --> 00:05:37,125 if I'm truly surrendered, 111 00:05:37,125 --> 00:05:38,861 He's going to establish my thoughts 112 00:05:38,861 --> 00:05:41,095 as to the right way to go. 113 00:05:41,095 --> 00:05:43,639 And He's going to show me the way to go. 114 00:05:43,639 --> 00:05:46,075 And as He takes me down the path 115 00:05:46,075 --> 00:05:47,664 He wants me to go, 116 00:05:47,664 --> 00:05:50,941 if all of a sudden, I break out in anger, 117 00:05:50,941 --> 00:05:53,998 or I stop trusting God, 118 00:05:53,998 --> 00:05:56,329 because I don't like the way He's leading me - 119 00:05:56,329 --> 00:05:58,531 you see, this is the problem with Ulysses 120 00:05:58,531 --> 00:06:02,154 is he's saying he's committing his ways, 121 00:06:02,154 --> 00:06:04,632 but in the end, when the way that 122 00:06:04,632 --> 00:06:06,518 he thinks he ought to go 123 00:06:06,518 --> 00:06:08,678 with regards to work and relationships 124 00:06:08,678 --> 00:06:10,072 and ministry - 125 00:06:10,072 --> 00:06:11,667 see, he's got it in his mind, 126 00:06:11,667 --> 00:06:13,706 this is the way to glorify God. 127 00:06:13,706 --> 00:06:16,521 But then he tries to go down that path 128 00:06:16,521 --> 00:06:22,534 and God causes it not to work out good. 129 00:06:22,534 --> 00:06:24,154 And then he's upset 130 00:06:24,154 --> 00:06:27,186 or he's not trusting the Lord. 131 00:06:27,186 --> 00:06:28,821 But I would say this, 132 00:06:28,821 --> 00:06:31,825 isn't this the heart of all temptation? 133 00:06:31,825 --> 00:06:33,652 Isn't this the heart of all suffering? 134 00:06:33,652 --> 00:06:36,289 Isn't this the heart of the Christian life? 135 00:06:36,289 --> 00:06:38,893 Is basically to take my ambitions 136 00:06:38,893 --> 00:06:43,095 and my desires, my goals, 137 00:06:43,095 --> 00:06:45,098 and unless you forsake all that you have 138 00:06:45,098 --> 00:06:46,800 you can't be Christ's disciples, 139 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:48,477 but isn't that the heart of it? 140 00:06:48,477 --> 00:06:51,483 Putting it all on the altar? 141 00:06:51,483 --> 00:06:56,118 Isn't the way to walk before the Lord, 142 00:06:56,118 --> 00:07:00,059 we acknowledge the Lord, 143 00:07:00,059 --> 00:07:03,856 but if the Lord causes it not to work out, 144 00:07:03,856 --> 00:07:06,991 if we're truly surrendered, 145 00:07:06,991 --> 00:07:09,123 we don't stop trusting the Lord. 146 00:07:09,123 --> 00:07:11,867 What we do is we trust the Lord. 147 00:07:11,867 --> 00:07:16,003 Ok, Lord, I thought you wanted me in the ministry. 148 00:07:16,003 --> 00:07:18,630 But as I strive to do this ministry, 149 00:07:18,630 --> 00:07:20,174 God's people aren't blessed, 150 00:07:20,174 --> 00:07:22,750 doors don't open. 151 00:07:22,750 --> 00:07:23,946 But you know what? 152 00:07:23,946 --> 00:07:26,796 That shouldn't leave us not trusting the Lord. 153 00:07:26,796 --> 00:07:28,959 If we're trusting the Lord; 154 00:07:28,959 --> 00:07:32,470 if we're committing our ways to Him, 155 00:07:32,470 --> 00:07:34,894 that should lead us to believe, 156 00:07:34,894 --> 00:07:37,464 Lord, that's not what You want me to do. 157 00:07:37,464 --> 00:07:42,355 Or just maybe it's not what You want me to do yet. 158 00:07:42,355 --> 00:07:44,031 I think how he responds here 159 00:07:44,031 --> 00:07:47,635 kind of shows where his heart is. 160 00:07:47,635 --> 00:07:50,896 And I think if we're wanting to weigh things out 161 00:07:50,896 --> 00:07:54,869 before the Lord; 162 00:07:54,869 --> 00:08:00,774 if we want to distinguish when our own will 163 00:08:00,774 --> 00:08:06,016 is involved versus if it's something God wants us to do. 164 00:08:06,016 --> 00:08:07,729 Listen, we know this. 165 00:08:07,729 --> 00:08:11,215 If a man desires the office of an overseer 166 00:08:11,215 --> 00:08:14,052 he desires a good thing. 167 00:08:14,052 --> 00:08:16,568 A desire for that isn't bad. 168 00:08:16,568 --> 00:08:18,565 Some people have this notion, 169 00:08:18,565 --> 00:08:21,441 well, it can't be God's will, 170 00:08:21,441 --> 00:08:23,349 if I desire it. 171 00:08:23,349 --> 00:08:24,931 Some people have that idea. 172 00:08:24,931 --> 00:08:26,204 If I desire to marry her, 173 00:08:26,204 --> 00:08:27,725 then that can't be God's will. 174 00:08:27,725 --> 00:08:29,495 I mean, if I'm going to marry her, 175 00:08:29,495 --> 00:08:31,777 it's got to be somebody I don't desire to marry. 176 00:08:31,777 --> 00:08:33,964 Or, if I'm truly called to the ministry, 177 00:08:33,964 --> 00:08:35,565 then I'm the guy that's going to 178 00:08:35,565 --> 00:08:37,436 try to run the other way all the time 179 00:08:37,436 --> 00:08:38,905 and I have no desire for it. 180 00:08:38,905 --> 00:08:42,151 I mean, some people view the Christian life that way, 181 00:08:42,151 --> 00:08:44,032 that you know, they lick their finger, 182 00:08:44,032 --> 00:08:46,608 and they're trying to figure out if it's God's will 183 00:08:46,608 --> 00:08:49,781 because it's the least desirable path. 184 00:08:49,781 --> 00:08:51,548 Now, sometimes God does call us 185 00:08:51,548 --> 00:08:53,902 to go down the least desirable path. 186 00:08:53,902 --> 00:08:56,211 But that isn't how you figure out God's will 187 00:08:56,211 --> 00:08:59,098 to look at the most horrific path possible 188 00:08:59,098 --> 00:09:01,796 and say, I guess that's the path 189 00:09:01,796 --> 00:09:03,623 God's always calling me to. 190 00:09:03,623 --> 00:09:05,870 That's just not true. 191 00:09:05,870 --> 00:09:11,831 That's not right. 192 00:09:11,831 --> 00:09:14,864 What I want to look at is this: 193 00:09:14,864 --> 00:09:18,391 Jeremiah 42. 194 00:09:18,391 --> 00:09:22,072 As I was thinking about Ulysses, 195 00:09:22,072 --> 00:09:24,153 this just came to my mind. 196 00:09:24,153 --> 00:09:26,342 It often comes to my mind. 197 00:09:26,342 --> 00:09:42,333 Jeremiah 42. 198 00:09:42,333 --> 00:09:46,077 What's interesting about this 199 00:09:46,077 --> 00:09:49,217 is you remember Nebuchadnezzar came in, 200 00:09:49,217 --> 00:09:51,512 conquered Jerusalem. 201 00:09:51,512 --> 00:09:53,143 Basically destroyed the city, 202 00:09:53,143 --> 00:09:55,623 destroyed the temple. 203 00:09:55,623 --> 00:10:00,126 Do you remember what happened after that? 204 00:10:00,126 --> 00:10:04,595 Nebuchadnezzar appointed a man 205 00:10:04,595 --> 00:10:06,326 to be governor. 206 00:10:06,326 --> 00:10:09,351 He left some of the poor. 207 00:10:09,351 --> 00:10:12,201 He left some of the Jews - 208 00:10:12,201 --> 00:10:15,017 some of the people in Jerusalem. 209 00:10:15,017 --> 00:10:19,521 And he set a man 210 00:10:19,521 --> 00:10:23,228 by the name of Gedaliah. 211 00:10:23,228 --> 00:10:29,558 He set this man as governor over them. 212 00:10:29,558 --> 00:10:33,165 If you look in chapter 41, 213 00:10:33,165 --> 00:10:36,969 "Gedaliah Murdered" is basically the heading 214 00:10:36,969 --> 00:10:40,537 that I have in my ESV. 215 00:10:40,537 --> 00:10:43,265 What happened was this guy Ishmael - 216 00:10:43,265 --> 00:10:46,754 now, it's not Ishmael the brother of Isaac. 217 00:10:46,754 --> 00:10:50,291 This is another Ishmael. 218 00:10:50,291 --> 00:10:51,911 But he comes on the scene 219 00:10:51,911 --> 00:10:54,028 and some of the Jews are telling Gedaliah, 220 00:10:54,028 --> 00:10:56,889 look, this guy Ishmael's going to kill you. 221 00:10:56,889 --> 00:11:00,361 And Gedaliah played it down. 222 00:11:00,361 --> 00:11:03,062 He said no he's not. And he did. 223 00:11:03,062 --> 00:11:04,301 Ishmael killed him. 224 00:11:04,301 --> 00:11:05,829 Ishmael killed Gedaliah. 225 00:11:05,829 --> 00:11:07,475 And you know what happened 226 00:11:07,475 --> 00:11:09,420 to many of the Jews that were there? 227 00:11:09,420 --> 00:11:10,883 And they were being headed up 228 00:11:10,883 --> 00:11:14,935 by a guy named Johanan. 229 00:11:14,935 --> 00:11:17,761 They feared because what they thought 230 00:11:17,761 --> 00:11:20,043 is the governor's dead. 231 00:11:20,043 --> 00:11:22,578 The Chaldeans are going to come back in here 232 00:11:22,578 --> 00:11:25,104 and they're going to kill us all. 233 00:11:25,104 --> 00:11:26,725 We've got to get out of here. 234 00:11:26,725 --> 00:11:29,840 We've got to run down to Egypt for safety. 235 00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:31,647 And that's kind of where we pick up 236 00:11:31,647 --> 00:11:34,704 in chapter 42. 237 00:11:34,704 --> 00:11:37,314 "Then all the commanders of the forces 238 00:11:37,314 --> 00:11:40,370 and Johanan, the son of Kareah, 239 00:11:40,370 --> 00:11:42,793 and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, 240 00:11:42,793 --> 00:11:44,453 and all the people from the least 241 00:11:44,453 --> 00:11:46,071 to the greatest came near, 242 00:11:46,071 --> 00:11:48,083 and said to Jeremiah the prophet, 243 00:11:48,083 --> 00:11:49,685 'Let our plea for mercy...'" 244 00:11:49,685 --> 00:11:52,448 Now this is specifically what I want you to see. 245 00:11:52,448 --> 00:11:54,848 "Let our plea for mercy come before you 246 00:11:54,848 --> 00:11:59,428 and pray to the Lord your God for us, 247 00:11:59,428 --> 00:12:01,939 for all this remnant, 248 00:12:01,939 --> 00:12:05,048 because we are left with but a few 249 00:12:05,048 --> 00:12:06,694 as your eyes see us, 250 00:12:06,694 --> 00:12:09,263 that the Lord your God may show us 251 00:12:09,263 --> 00:12:10,982 the way we should go 252 00:12:10,982 --> 00:12:13,072 and the thing that we should do." 253 00:12:13,072 --> 00:12:16,460 Here's what a lot of people do. 254 00:12:16,460 --> 00:12:20,461 They say, "We want to know God's will." 255 00:12:20,461 --> 00:12:23,036 They say it. 256 00:12:23,036 --> 00:12:24,820 And that's what's happening here. 257 00:12:24,820 --> 00:12:26,283 You see it. They're saying it. 258 00:12:26,283 --> 00:12:28,790 Jeremiah, we know you're a prophet of God. 259 00:12:28,790 --> 00:12:31,142 We're here. We want a word from the Lord. 260 00:12:31,142 --> 00:12:33,193 We want you to tell us what to do. 261 00:12:33,193 --> 00:12:35,809 And it all sounds really good right then. 262 00:12:35,809 --> 00:12:37,483 But you know what the problem was? 263 00:12:37,483 --> 00:12:41,383 You know what the big problem was? 264 00:12:41,383 --> 00:12:44,212 Verse 17 of the previous chapter. 265 00:12:44,212 --> 00:12:45,257 "They went and stayed 266 00:12:45,257 --> 00:12:49,877 at Geruth Chimham near Bethlehem 267 00:12:49,877 --> 00:12:53,366 intending to go to Egypt." 268 00:12:53,366 --> 00:12:56,974 You see that? In the previous chapter? 269 00:12:56,974 --> 00:12:58,081 Verse 17 270 00:12:58,081 --> 00:13:01,749 They already intended to go to Egypt. 271 00:13:01,749 --> 00:13:03,270 That's the problem. 272 00:13:03,270 --> 00:13:05,406 And see, they come to the prophet, 273 00:13:05,406 --> 00:13:08,887 and they say, 274 00:13:08,887 --> 00:13:10,999 "Ask the Lord..." 275 00:13:10,999 --> 00:13:13,289 Verse 4: "Jeremiah the prophet said to them, 276 00:13:13,289 --> 00:13:15,159 'I've heard you. Behold, I will pray 277 00:13:15,159 --> 00:13:17,474 to the Lord your God according to your request. 278 00:13:17,474 --> 00:13:19,163 Whatever the Lord answers you, 279 00:13:19,163 --> 00:13:20,166 I will tell you. 280 00:13:20,166 --> 00:13:23,706 I will keep nothing back from you.'" 281 00:13:23,706 --> 00:13:27,757 But what's the issue? 282 00:13:27,757 --> 00:13:29,787 The issue is that they already 283 00:13:29,787 --> 00:13:32,510 made up their mind to go, 284 00:13:32,510 --> 00:13:34,570 and he tells them. 285 00:13:34,570 --> 00:13:36,566 He tells them in verse 11. 286 00:13:36,566 --> 00:13:38,128 "'Don't fear the king of Babylon 287 00:13:38,128 --> 00:13:39,179 of whom you're afraid. 288 00:13:39,179 --> 00:13:40,914 Do not fear him,' declares the Lord. 289 00:13:40,914 --> 00:13:43,823 'For I am with you to save you and deliver you from his hand. 290 00:13:43,823 --> 00:13:45,059 I will grant you mercy.'" 291 00:13:45,059 --> 00:13:47,822 Listen to what God is saying to them. 292 00:13:47,822 --> 00:13:51,268 But look at chapter 43:1. 293 00:13:51,268 --> 00:13:53,680 "When Jeremiah finished speaking to all the people 294 00:13:53,680 --> 00:13:55,264 these words of the Lord their God 295 00:13:55,264 --> 00:13:56,894 with which the Lord their God had 296 00:13:56,894 --> 00:13:57,850 sent him to them, 297 00:13:57,850 --> 00:13:59,346 Azariah the son of Hoshaiah 298 00:13:59,346 --> 00:14:01,048 and Johanan the son of Kareah 299 00:14:01,048 --> 00:14:03,120 and all the insolent men said to Jeremiah, 300 00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:06,973 'You're telling a lie. 301 00:14:06,973 --> 00:14:08,991 The Lord our God did not send you 302 00:14:08,991 --> 00:14:12,016 to say do not go to Egypt to live there.'" 303 00:14:12,016 --> 00:14:18,655 Well, ok, this is the issue. 304 00:14:18,655 --> 00:14:22,260 This is what I think is the problem with Ulysses. 305 00:14:22,260 --> 00:14:24,527 He already gets his mind made up 306 00:14:24,527 --> 00:14:26,761 about what he wants to do. 307 00:14:26,761 --> 00:14:28,424 And you see, what he wants 308 00:14:28,424 --> 00:14:31,275 is God to bless him in what he wants to do. 309 00:14:31,275 --> 00:14:33,750 And he feels vindicated because he feels like 310 00:14:33,750 --> 00:14:36,108 well, this is the way I'm going to glorify God. 311 00:14:36,108 --> 00:14:38,301 He mentions that twice distinctly. 312 00:14:38,301 --> 00:14:40,271 That this is the way he has figured out 313 00:14:40,271 --> 00:14:41,743 he is going to glorify God. 314 00:14:41,743 --> 00:14:43,827 And when God doesn't jump on that bandwagon 315 00:14:43,827 --> 00:14:47,627 to glorify Himself the way that Ulysses 316 00:14:47,627 --> 00:14:51,177 thinks that God should jump on the bandwagon, 317 00:14:51,177 --> 00:14:52,963 then he's upset. 318 00:14:52,963 --> 00:14:54,888 And you see that he's upset. 319 00:14:54,888 --> 00:14:57,650 In fact, he's ready to throw in the towel. 320 00:14:57,650 --> 00:15:04,057 He says that he is wondering 321 00:15:04,057 --> 00:15:05,724 whether he can take any initiative 322 00:15:05,724 --> 00:15:07,410 to do anything for one. 323 00:15:07,410 --> 00:15:09,281 But he feels like he's "losing hope 324 00:15:09,281 --> 00:15:10,563 and heart in God." 325 00:15:10,563 --> 00:15:11,919 He's losing hope in God. 326 00:15:11,919 --> 00:15:13,868 Why would you lose hope in God? 327 00:15:13,868 --> 00:15:17,645 See, that's like Johanan saying 328 00:15:17,645 --> 00:15:20,088 I just feel like I'm losing hope in God 329 00:15:20,088 --> 00:15:21,583 because what? 330 00:15:21,583 --> 00:15:23,491 Well, because I thought the thing to do 331 00:15:23,491 --> 00:15:24,987 that was going to glorify Him 332 00:15:24,987 --> 00:15:26,792 was to save all of the Israelites 333 00:15:26,792 --> 00:15:27,930 by going down to Egypt 334 00:15:27,930 --> 00:15:29,759 because certainly the king of Babylon 335 00:15:29,759 --> 00:15:31,937 is going to come in here now that Gedaliah's dead, 336 00:15:31,937 --> 00:15:33,501 and he's going to butcher us all. 337 00:15:33,501 --> 00:15:35,074 And so saving all of God's people 338 00:15:35,074 --> 00:15:36,323 by running down to Egypt, 339 00:15:36,323 --> 00:15:38,243 well that's the way to glorify God. 340 00:15:38,243 --> 00:15:39,584 And then when you find out, 341 00:15:39,584 --> 00:15:41,882 well, God's not even in that, 342 00:15:41,882 --> 00:15:43,310 then you deny it. 343 00:15:43,310 --> 00:15:44,383 Then you find fault. 344 00:15:44,383 --> 00:15:46,747 Then it's, well, that's all a lie. 345 00:15:46,747 --> 00:15:49,597 That's not what he said. 346 00:15:49,597 --> 00:15:54,756 You see, this is the heart of suffering. 347 00:15:54,756 --> 00:15:56,201 This is the heart of trial. 348 00:15:56,201 --> 00:15:58,880 This is the heart of surrender 349 00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:02,402 is when things don't go the way 350 00:16:02,402 --> 00:16:05,783 that I think they should, 351 00:16:05,783 --> 00:16:07,957 am I going to deny the Lord? 352 00:16:07,957 --> 00:16:10,367 Am I going to throw in the towel? 353 00:16:10,367 --> 00:16:14,172 Am I going to lose hope in God? 354 00:16:14,172 --> 00:16:15,931 You see, God is in the business 355 00:16:15,931 --> 00:16:17,699 of calling us to go down paths 356 00:16:17,699 --> 00:16:20,099 that don't always make us comfortable 357 00:16:20,099 --> 00:16:22,190 and very often that are not in accord 358 00:16:22,190 --> 00:16:23,869 with our agenda. 359 00:16:23,869 --> 00:16:27,656 Very often, the very thing we wanted to do 360 00:16:27,656 --> 00:16:31,138 is the very thing that He doesn't want us to do. 361 00:16:31,138 --> 00:16:32,459 You know, one of the things 362 00:16:32,459 --> 00:16:36,196 that you definitely find about the Christian life 363 00:16:36,196 --> 00:16:40,035 is that God is in the business of killing the idols. 364 00:16:40,035 --> 00:16:43,193 And listen, He is in the business 365 00:16:43,193 --> 00:16:45,070 of having us go up on Mt. Moriah 366 00:16:45,070 --> 00:16:50,677 and stick the knife in our Isaac's. 367 00:16:50,677 --> 00:16:51,759 And you know what? 368 00:16:51,759 --> 00:16:53,675 There are all sorts of things 369 00:16:53,675 --> 00:17:00,454 that become idols subtly over time. 370 00:17:00,454 --> 00:17:02,526 Even something we want to do. 371 00:17:02,526 --> 00:17:04,911 Even desires, even agendas. 372 00:17:04,911 --> 00:17:07,933 And it is interesting how often the Lord 373 00:17:07,933 --> 00:17:12,769 tests our resolve to follow Him. 374 00:17:12,769 --> 00:17:17,901 And it's a real test of maturity 375 00:17:17,901 --> 00:17:21,555 as to how well we respond to the Lord 376 00:17:21,555 --> 00:17:23,807 when He takes us down the path 377 00:17:23,807 --> 00:17:27,136 that we didn't want to go down. 378 00:17:27,136 --> 00:17:28,671 We have plans. 379 00:17:28,671 --> 00:17:30,578 It's not wrong to strategize. 380 00:17:30,578 --> 00:17:32,182 It's not wrong to have plans. 381 00:17:32,182 --> 00:17:34,915 It's not wrong to take initiative. 382 00:17:34,915 --> 00:17:41,963 It's not wrong to seek to set goals in life. 383 00:17:41,963 --> 00:17:46,540 But you know, the very spirit 384 00:17:46,540 --> 00:17:49,045 of acknowledging the Lord in all of our ways 385 00:17:49,045 --> 00:17:51,165 and He'll direct our path 386 00:17:51,165 --> 00:17:55,058 is that as we acknowledge Him in the ways, 387 00:17:55,058 --> 00:17:56,821 you know where we want to be? 388 00:17:56,821 --> 00:17:58,475 Lord, I'm acknowledging You here. 389 00:17:58,475 --> 00:17:59,843 I've examined all the facts. 390 00:17:59,843 --> 00:18:01,275 I've sought counsel. 391 00:18:01,275 --> 00:18:04,056 And I think I should move in this direction. 392 00:18:04,056 --> 00:18:05,755 In fact, that's the direction 393 00:18:05,755 --> 00:18:08,663 I desire to move in. 394 00:18:08,663 --> 00:18:10,296 And I don't see any reason not to. 395 00:18:10,296 --> 00:18:12,518 But Lord, if that's not the way that You want me to go, 396 00:18:12,518 --> 00:18:13,691 shut the door. 397 00:18:13,691 --> 00:18:16,233 And you know what? Sometimes, He does shut the door. 398 00:18:16,233 --> 00:18:18,637 But the last thing we want to do when He does that 399 00:18:18,637 --> 00:18:20,987 is say, well, I'm losing hope. 400 00:18:20,987 --> 00:18:23,340 We need to be like Job. 401 00:18:23,340 --> 00:18:24,498 We may go down a path 402 00:18:24,498 --> 00:18:25,663 and we may find out that 403 00:18:25,663 --> 00:18:29,049 this isn't just the path we don't want to walk down, 404 00:18:29,049 --> 00:18:30,554 this is a very difficult path. 405 00:18:30,554 --> 00:18:31,975 It's got a lot of sufferings, 406 00:18:31,975 --> 00:18:34,158 a lot of trial, and we need to be 407 00:18:34,158 --> 00:18:35,698 in a place where we can say, 408 00:18:35,698 --> 00:18:37,840 though He slay me, 409 00:18:37,840 --> 00:18:41,744 yet will I trust in Him. 410 00:18:41,744 --> 00:18:46,143 And so this is a big test of maturity: 411 00:18:46,143 --> 00:18:50,168 how we respond when things 412 00:18:50,168 --> 00:18:55,987 don't go our way. 413 00:18:55,987 --> 00:18:57,585 Any other thoughts on that 414 00:18:57,585 --> 00:18:59,140 before we go to the next one? 415 00:18:59,140 --> 00:18:59,936 (from the room) 416 00:18:59,936 --> 00:19:01,043 Yeah, I'd just say, 417 00:19:01,043 --> 00:19:03,385 one trap he's falling into 418 00:19:03,385 --> 00:19:05,130 is I have this desire, 419 00:19:05,130 --> 00:19:06,873 so it must be from the Lord. 420 00:19:06,873 --> 00:19:08,418 But then, you know 421 00:19:08,418 --> 00:19:11,265 the heart is deceitful above all things. 422 00:19:11,265 --> 00:19:13,794 Who can understand it? 423 00:19:13,794 --> 00:19:15,508 So, I think we need to be careful. 424 00:19:15,508 --> 00:19:17,087 Just because I have this desire, 425 00:19:17,087 --> 00:19:21,904 doesn't mean it's necessarily from the Lord. 426 00:19:21,904 --> 00:19:24,088 James: Some people really press that verse 427 00:19:24,088 --> 00:19:25,889 "delight yourself in the Lord 428 00:19:25,889 --> 00:19:30,296 and He will give you the desires of your heart." 429 00:19:30,296 --> 00:19:35,132 And they don't interpret that correctly. 430 00:19:35,132 --> 00:19:39,556 Why don't you give a correct interpretation? 431 00:19:39,556 --> 00:19:42,756 Tim: Here's the thing, 432 00:19:42,756 --> 00:19:45,627 if I delight myself in the Lord - 433 00:19:45,627 --> 00:19:47,848 let's take Ulysses here. 434 00:19:47,848 --> 00:19:51,654 If my desire is really that God be glorified, 435 00:19:51,654 --> 00:19:53,455 and I was going to go to the right 436 00:19:53,455 --> 00:19:55,022 and God says to me, 437 00:19:55,022 --> 00:19:57,263 the way I'm really going to be glorified 438 00:19:57,263 --> 00:19:59,108 is if you go to the left. 439 00:19:59,108 --> 00:20:01,798 So you've got to take the first part of that. 440 00:20:01,798 --> 00:20:04,472 If I delight myself in the Lord, 441 00:20:04,472 --> 00:20:06,097 and He is my delight, 442 00:20:06,097 --> 00:20:08,253 and seeing Him glorified is my delight; 443 00:20:08,253 --> 00:20:11,408 seeing Him made majestic and worshiped 444 00:20:11,408 --> 00:20:13,331 and lifted up and exalted - 445 00:20:13,331 --> 00:20:15,232 if that is my delight, 446 00:20:15,232 --> 00:20:16,828 then I want to go down the path 447 00:20:16,828 --> 00:20:18,613 that's going to most exalt Him. 448 00:20:18,613 --> 00:20:20,283 And that would be my desire. 449 00:20:20,283 --> 00:20:22,079 I mean, listen to the Apostle Paul. 450 00:20:22,079 --> 00:20:24,779 His delight was in the Lord. 451 00:20:24,779 --> 00:20:27,263 And he said it doesn't matter - 452 00:20:27,263 --> 00:20:29,127 you tell me that if I go to Jerusalem, 453 00:20:29,127 --> 00:20:30,844 that they're going to do this to me. 454 00:20:30,844 --> 00:20:32,081 He says I'm ready to go. 455 00:20:32,081 --> 00:20:33,655 I'm ready to be thrown in jail. 456 00:20:33,655 --> 00:20:35,928 I'm ready to die. 457 00:20:35,928 --> 00:20:39,467 Why? Because Christ was everything to him. 458 00:20:39,467 --> 00:20:43,326 You see, the problem is 459 00:20:43,326 --> 00:20:45,653 that you get people that read these verses - 460 00:20:45,653 --> 00:20:46,869 kind of like this one: 461 00:20:46,869 --> 00:20:48,846 "Commit thy works unto the Lord, 462 00:20:48,846 --> 00:20:50,884 and thy thoughts shall be established." 463 00:20:50,884 --> 00:20:55,144 Well, the problem is that 464 00:20:55,144 --> 00:20:57,368 maybe what it means to commit your works 465 00:20:57,368 --> 00:20:58,807 to the Lord - 466 00:20:58,807 --> 00:21:01,689 to surrender them to the Lord - 467 00:21:01,689 --> 00:21:04,174 maybe that's not really being understood. 468 00:21:04,174 --> 00:21:05,734 And perhaps "delight yourself 469 00:21:05,734 --> 00:21:08,435 in the Lord and He will give you 470 00:21:08,435 --> 00:21:10,227 the desires of your heart," 471 00:21:10,227 --> 00:21:12,648 I think people pass over the first part of that 472 00:21:12,648 --> 00:21:15,873 way too quickly. 473 00:21:15,873 --> 00:21:17,633 What they're assuming 474 00:21:17,633 --> 00:21:19,736 because they come to church, 475 00:21:19,736 --> 00:21:22,111 or even because they profess to be Christians, 476 00:21:22,111 --> 00:21:24,688 they're assuming that somehow, 477 00:21:24,688 --> 00:21:26,754 ok, God's going to jump on the bandwagon 478 00:21:26,754 --> 00:21:29,651 of their desires and give them any desire 479 00:21:29,651 --> 00:21:33,553 that happens to cross their hearts and minds. 480 00:21:33,553 --> 00:21:37,008 But it's almost like there's this assumption. 481 00:21:37,008 --> 00:21:38,982 Well, yes, I commit my ways to the Lord. 482 00:21:38,982 --> 00:21:40,056 That's what I'm doing. 483 00:21:40,056 --> 00:21:41,202 There's this assumption: 484 00:21:41,202 --> 00:21:43,157 Well, of course, I delight in the Lord. 485 00:21:43,157 --> 00:21:46,543 I wouldn't be coming to church if I didn't. 486 00:21:46,543 --> 00:21:48,340 But when you really start to think 487 00:21:48,340 --> 00:21:50,213 about what it means to commit your ways 488 00:21:50,213 --> 00:21:51,834 to the Lord, 489 00:21:51,834 --> 00:21:54,944 it's the idea that I'm committing, 490 00:21:54,944 --> 00:21:57,570 I'm committing those to Him. 491 00:21:57,570 --> 00:21:59,305 I'm offering them to Him. 492 00:21:59,305 --> 00:22:00,711 I'm surrendering them to Him. 493 00:22:00,711 --> 00:22:02,739 Or if you really think about what it means 494 00:22:02,739 --> 00:22:08,126 to delight thyself in the Lord. 495 00:22:08,126 --> 00:22:11,641 He's your chief love. 496 00:22:11,641 --> 00:22:14,918 And if He's going to be most honored - 497 00:22:14,918 --> 00:22:16,101 you think about that. 498 00:22:16,101 --> 00:22:20,795 You remember how Jesus said to Peter, 499 00:22:20,795 --> 00:22:23,040 when you're young, you're going to do this. 500 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:24,081 But when you get old, 501 00:22:24,081 --> 00:22:26,138 people are going to dress you 502 00:22:26,138 --> 00:22:27,559 and they're going to lead you 503 00:22:27,559 --> 00:22:30,137 somewhere you don't want to go. 504 00:22:30,137 --> 00:22:35,149 He told Peter this showing by what manner 505 00:22:35,149 --> 00:22:38,470 he was going to glorify God. 506 00:22:38,470 --> 00:22:41,032 But you see, if you hear that, 507 00:22:41,032 --> 00:22:42,250 really? 508 00:22:42,250 --> 00:22:45,467 History tells us what? 509 00:22:45,467 --> 00:22:48,250 He was crucified upside down? 510 00:22:48,250 --> 00:22:50,127 Whether that's exactly right or not 511 00:22:50,127 --> 00:22:52,132 we know that Jesus was definitely saying 512 00:22:52,132 --> 00:22:55,299 he was going to be murdered. 513 00:22:55,299 --> 00:22:56,411 And what was that? 514 00:22:56,411 --> 00:22:57,863 That was showing by what way 515 00:22:57,863 --> 00:23:00,379 he was going to glorify God. 516 00:23:00,379 --> 00:23:01,443 How about that? 517 00:23:01,443 --> 00:23:03,364 How about if you hear that? 518 00:23:03,364 --> 00:23:05,451 See, we think we've got it figured out. 519 00:23:05,451 --> 00:23:07,166 Oh, this is the way to glorify God. 520 00:23:07,166 --> 00:23:09,661 I'm going to be a music leader and I'm going to stand up 521 00:23:09,661 --> 00:23:11,717 before the church and I'm going to perform 522 00:23:11,717 --> 00:23:14,122 and everybody's going to worship 523 00:23:14,122 --> 00:23:18,148 and we're going to be lifted up to the Lord. 524 00:23:18,148 --> 00:23:20,123 Well, if Peter would have had that idea, 525 00:23:20,123 --> 00:23:23,296 he'd have been sore disappointed. 526 00:23:23,296 --> 00:23:25,439 Are we ready to say, 527 00:23:25,439 --> 00:23:28,311 Lord, if You want me crucified upside down, 528 00:23:28,311 --> 00:23:32,135 and that's going to bring You glory, 529 00:23:32,135 --> 00:23:33,629 so be it. 530 00:23:33,629 --> 00:23:36,786 Just please give me the grace 531 00:23:36,786 --> 00:23:39,918 to not deny You in the midst of it. 532 00:23:39,918 --> 00:23:41,713 I mean, that would be my hope. 533 00:23:41,713 --> 00:23:43,964 Just give me grace, Lord. 534 00:23:43,964 --> 00:23:46,787 And as I just heard John Piper 535 00:23:46,787 --> 00:23:50,078 a little while ago say that Corrie Ten Boom 536 00:23:50,078 --> 00:23:51,392 when she was a child, 537 00:23:51,392 --> 00:23:52,542 she would tell her dad, 538 00:23:52,542 --> 00:23:58,265 "Papa, I'm afraid that I would deny Jesus 539 00:23:58,265 --> 00:24:00,500 if I was being martyred." 540 00:24:00,500 --> 00:24:05,273 And he said, "Corrie, do I give you 541 00:24:05,273 --> 00:24:07,787 the money for your train ticket 542 00:24:07,787 --> 00:24:11,199 weeks in advance of our trip?" 543 00:24:11,199 --> 00:24:13,381 She said, "No, daddy, you give me the money 544 00:24:13,381 --> 00:24:15,717 right when we're there and we need to buy the tickets 545 00:24:15,717 --> 00:24:17,066 at the ticket booth." 546 00:24:17,066 --> 00:24:19,154 And he said that's the same way 547 00:24:19,154 --> 00:24:20,752 God does it. 548 00:24:20,752 --> 00:24:23,960 He gives us the grace that we need when we need it. 549 00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:25,304 Kevin, you had something? 550 00:24:25,304 --> 00:24:27,397 Kevin: I thought of what Conrad Murrell said 551 00:24:27,397 --> 00:24:29,306 you'll never know the will of God 552 00:24:29,306 --> 00:24:32,045 until you're fully committed to it. 553 00:24:32,045 --> 00:24:33,347 Tim: Exactly. 554 00:24:33,347 --> 00:24:36,600 (unintelligible) 555 00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:39,180 Yeah, the will being surrendered. 556 00:24:39,180 --> 00:24:40,489 That's the real issue. 557 00:24:40,489 --> 00:24:42,883 And I suspect - what you can see 558 00:24:42,883 --> 00:24:44,877 by the way Ulysses answers 559 00:24:44,877 --> 00:24:47,752 is his will's not surrendered to God's. 560 00:24:47,752 --> 00:24:49,164 That's a dead giveaway. 561 00:24:49,164 --> 00:24:51,518 And he's asking the question at the beginning, 562 00:24:51,518 --> 00:24:53,250 how can you distinguish? 563 00:24:53,250 --> 00:24:55,661 That's how you distinguish, right there. 564 00:24:55,661 --> 00:24:57,921 How do you respond 565 00:24:57,921 --> 00:24:59,556 when things don't go the way 566 00:24:59,556 --> 00:25:02,112 that you wanted them to go? 567 00:25:02,112 --> 00:25:03,578 Are you going to continue to 568 00:25:03,578 --> 00:25:07,622 embrace the Lord and trust Him? 569 00:25:07,622 --> 00:25:11,363 And praise His name? 570 00:25:11,363 --> 00:25:13,021 Anything else before we go on? 571 00:25:13,021 --> 00:25:13,784 (from the room) 572 00:25:13,784 --> 00:25:15,672 Do you think in general 573 00:25:15,672 --> 00:25:17,276 that the Lord's will would be 574 00:25:17,276 --> 00:25:19,332 like what somebody's good at 575 00:25:19,332 --> 00:25:20,909 or gifted in? 576 00:25:20,909 --> 00:25:24,099 I remember having a conversation with Jeremy. 577 00:25:24,099 --> 00:25:25,633 He was saying I would hate to 578 00:25:25,633 --> 00:25:28,427 be working at home like I do, 579 00:25:28,427 --> 00:25:30,567 and I was saying, I'd hate to be 580 00:25:30,567 --> 00:25:34,193 studying all day... 581 00:25:34,193 --> 00:25:35,656 Tim: Well, yes, there's ways 582 00:25:35,656 --> 00:25:37,624 that God designs us. 583 00:25:37,624 --> 00:25:41,277 I mean, I don't believe that 584 00:25:41,277 --> 00:25:49,709 our spiritual gifts are going to be 585 00:25:49,709 --> 00:25:54,802 the kinds of things that we despise doing 586 00:25:54,802 --> 00:25:57,889 or that we dread or we hate. 587 00:25:57,889 --> 00:26:02,622 Not that if a guy's called to the ministry - 588 00:26:02,622 --> 00:26:04,399 I'm reading Spurgeon's biography, 589 00:26:04,399 --> 00:26:06,358 and he just received the call 590 00:26:06,358 --> 00:26:07,718 to New Park Street, 591 00:26:07,718 --> 00:26:15,000 and you know, was there a certain terror 592 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:16,651 that goes with that? Yes. 593 00:26:16,651 --> 00:26:18,442 But you know when they asked him, 594 00:26:18,442 --> 00:26:20,206 there was no long drawn out thing. 595 00:26:20,206 --> 00:26:22,464 He said I accept. 596 00:26:22,464 --> 00:26:24,861 Right off. I accept. 597 00:26:24,861 --> 00:26:32,327 Why? Because he believed it was God's will. 598 00:26:32,327 --> 00:26:35,802 He wanted to do it. 599 00:26:35,802 --> 00:26:38,940 I mean, he didn't not want to do it. 600 00:26:38,940 --> 00:26:42,435 I would say the same to a young man. 601 00:26:42,435 --> 00:26:45,261 If you're thinking about marrying, 602 00:26:45,261 --> 00:26:47,550 and there's a girl you just simply 603 00:26:47,550 --> 00:26:49,499 don't want to marry, 604 00:26:49,499 --> 00:26:52,377 well, don't marry her. 605 00:26:52,377 --> 00:26:58,806 I mean, you know, but I would ask this: 606 00:26:58,806 --> 00:27:01,712 why don't you want to? 607 00:27:01,712 --> 00:27:04,595 I think we need to examine our motives. 608 00:27:04,595 --> 00:27:08,818 I think we need to look at 609 00:27:08,818 --> 00:27:10,808 what makes us tick; 610 00:27:10,808 --> 00:27:12,822 what it is that we want; 611 00:27:12,822 --> 00:27:13,904 what drives us; 612 00:27:13,904 --> 00:27:15,298 what our motives are; 613 00:27:15,298 --> 00:27:18,827 what Scripture we're following. 614 00:27:18,827 --> 00:27:20,548 We want the light of God's Word 615 00:27:20,548 --> 00:27:22,134 to be a lamp unto our feet 616 00:27:22,134 --> 00:27:25,864 in all that we do. 617 00:27:25,864 --> 00:27:29,720 If we're constantly in the Word 618 00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:32,298 and it's shining on us, 619 00:27:32,298 --> 00:27:33,624 what we're going to find 620 00:27:33,624 --> 00:27:35,587 is it's often going to reveal 621 00:27:35,587 --> 00:27:38,216 motives and desires that are just 622 00:27:38,216 --> 00:27:43,278 downright wrong; evil. 623 00:27:43,278 --> 00:27:45,900 I mean, even if you're a genuine Christian, 624 00:27:45,900 --> 00:27:47,597 that doesn't mean you can't desire 625 00:27:47,597 --> 00:27:50,114 something that's wrong; 626 00:27:50,114 --> 00:27:51,768 that's not good. 627 00:27:51,768 --> 00:27:53,977 Or even that it might be good, 628 00:27:53,977 --> 00:27:57,063 but God doesn't think it's good for you. 629 00:27:57,063 --> 00:27:59,775 And He's not going to give it to you. 630 00:27:59,775 --> 00:28:01,547 I mean, there are things 631 00:28:01,547 --> 00:28:04,047 that God may give to you, 632 00:28:04,047 --> 00:28:05,856 but He'll never give to me. 633 00:28:05,856 --> 00:28:08,250 Even though I want it. 634 00:28:08,250 --> 00:28:13,418 It's very interesting how some people 635 00:28:13,418 --> 00:28:16,591 get something, but you know, 636 00:28:16,591 --> 00:28:18,442 you talk to them and it's like 637 00:28:18,442 --> 00:28:20,337 they don't even care that they have it. 638 00:28:20,337 --> 00:28:22,274 Whereas somebody else really wants it. 639 00:28:22,274 --> 00:28:23,861 But God never gives it to them. 640 00:28:23,861 --> 00:28:25,217 But vice versa as well. 641 00:28:25,217 --> 00:28:27,060 God is very protective of us 642 00:28:27,060 --> 00:28:29,996 as far as submitting to Him, 643 00:28:29,996 --> 00:28:34,868 not allowing idols to get a foothold 644 00:28:34,868 --> 00:28:36,449 in our lives. 645 00:28:36,449 --> 00:28:41,077 He's very protective. 646 00:28:41,077 --> 00:28:42,944 Ok. 647 00:28:42,944 --> 00:28:46,584 Well, let's move on.