Daily Direction

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This is not an 0:00:57.440 --> 0:00:59.440 offer to buy yourself security snor is it investment legal 0:00:59.520 --> 0:01:00.640 or taxi by He'll. 0:01:00.480 --> 0:01:02.800 Forget about the video game you gave him on his birthday. 0:01:03.120 --> 0:01:05.000 Wow, thanks Grandpa, But. 0:01:05.000 --> 0:01:07.200 He'll never forget how you invest it in his future 0:01:07.240 --> 0:01:08.240 with the units stapp. 0:01:08.760 --> 0:01:10.400 Wow, thanks Grandpa. 0:01:11.040 --> 0:01:13.560 The unit stap makes it easy for grandparents and family 0:01:13.600 --> 0:01:16.280 friends to give funds to a child's investment account for 0:01:16.319 --> 0:01:18.720 a limited time. Download the units stapp and use the 0:01:18.720 --> 0:01:20.800 code I heeart fifty at sign up to receive a 0:01:20.840 --> 0:01:23.319 fifty dollars bonus when you fund your account. That's code 0:01:23.360 --> 0:01:26.320 iHeart fifty when you sign up at unest dot co 0:01:26.720 --> 0:01:29.280 for a fifty dollars bonus. See terms and conditions at 0:01:29.360 --> 0:01:30.080 UNEs dot co. 0:01:31.080 --> 0:01:34.800 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for downloading our podcast. 0:01:35.080 --> 0:01:37.880 We enjoy spending this time with you. I hope you'll 0:01:37.959 --> 0:01:41.319 leave Inspire. Make sure you subscribe to get new messages 0:01:41.360 --> 0:01:44.360 every week. We appreciate your support. It helps keep the 0:01:44.440 --> 0:01:45.240 ministry going. 0:01:45.640 --> 0:01:55.800 Enjoy the message. 0:01:59.280 --> 0:02:01.840 Well, God bless you. It's a joy to come into 0:02:01.880 --> 0:02:04.960 your homes and if you're ever in our area, please 0:02:04.960 --> 0:02:07.520 stop by and be a part of one of our services. 0:02:07.640 --> 0:02:10.360 I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. 0:02:11.200 --> 0:02:13.639 I like to start with something funny. And I heard 0:02:13.639 --> 0:02:16.640 about this man that was very stingy with his money, 0:02:17.280 --> 0:02:20.600 and just before his death, he made his wife promise 0:02:20.680 --> 0:02:23.560 him that she would have him buried with the fifty 0:02:23.639 --> 0:02:28.560 thousand dollars he had saved. His wife reluctantly agreed. At 0:02:28.560 --> 0:02:32.160 the funeral, before they closed the casket, she snuck in 0:02:32.240 --> 0:02:36.160 this small wooden box. Her friend said, surely you didn't 0:02:36.240 --> 0:02:38.760 just bury the money, did you. The wife said, of 0:02:38.760 --> 0:02:42.680 course I did. I'm a Christian. I can't lie. She said, 0:02:42.680 --> 0:02:46.160 you mean you just buried fifty thousand dollars. Wife said, yes, 0:02:46.200 --> 0:02:50.280 I did. I wrote a check. Say it like you 0:02:50.360 --> 0:02:53.200 mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it 0:02:53.240 --> 0:02:55.640 says I am. I have what it says I have. 0:02:56.280 --> 0:02:58.880 I can do what it says I can do. Today 0:02:59.040 --> 0:03:02.880 I will be taught of God. I boldly confess. My 0:03:03.000 --> 0:03:06.480 mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never 0:03:06.520 --> 0:03:11.320 be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. I 0:03:11.360 --> 0:03:15.640 want to talk to you today about daily direction. God 0:03:15.760 --> 0:03:18.720 said in Psalms that he will lead us down the 0:03:18.760 --> 0:03:22.080 best path for our lives. He has the wisdom we 0:03:22.200 --> 0:03:26.360 need the guidance, the direction. But it's not going to 0:03:26.440 --> 0:03:30.880 happen automatically. Every morning, we have to go to him 0:03:31.240 --> 0:03:35.000 and say, God, show me my assignment, show me what 0:03:35.160 --> 0:03:38.080 to do, show me where to go, give me the 0:03:38.120 --> 0:03:43.040 words to speak, asking for wisdom, for guidance. That's an 0:03:43.120 --> 0:03:47.840 act of surrender. It takes humility to say, God, you 0:03:47.960 --> 0:03:50.840 know what's best for me. I can't do this on 0:03:50.880 --> 0:03:54.920 my own. I need your help. Open the right doors, 0:03:55.200 --> 0:03:59.880 close the wrong doors, make the path clear. The scripture says, 0:04:00.240 --> 0:04:04.080 when you acknowledge God in all your ways, he will 0:04:04.120 --> 0:04:08.720 direct your path. But too often we make our plans 0:04:08.880 --> 0:04:13.560 without consulting God. Then we ask him to bless those plans, 0:04:14.160 --> 0:04:16.880 and we wonder why it's a struggle, why it feels 0:04:16.920 --> 0:04:21.200 like it's always uphill. We have it backwards. We're making 0:04:21.240 --> 0:04:24.599 a move and then asking God for help. The right 0:04:24.680 --> 0:04:28.599 way is to ask God first, God, what do you 0:04:28.640 --> 0:04:32.039 want me to do? Should I date this person? Should 0:04:32.040 --> 0:04:35.160 I start this new project? Should I make this purchase? 0:04:35.760 --> 0:04:39.000 If you feel peace about it, then move forward. If not, 0:04:39.600 --> 0:04:42.760 hold off, knowing that God knows what's best for you. 0:04:43.640 --> 0:04:47.400 In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus prayed give us this day 0:04:47.920 --> 0:04:52.240 our daily bread. He didn't say our weekly bread, our 0:04:52.320 --> 0:04:55.840 monthly bread. Joel, I come to church every Sunday. No, 0:04:56.040 --> 0:04:58.960 every morning. You need to go to God for your 0:04:59.040 --> 0:05:04.599 daily bread, your daily wisdom, daily direction. Too many times 0:05:04.880 --> 0:05:08.040 we're trying to do things only in our own strength, 0:05:08.640 --> 0:05:13.240 our own intellect, our own ability. That's going to limit us. 0:05:13.760 --> 0:05:17.559 God can see things that you can't see. He knows 0:05:17.600 --> 0:05:20.920 the right people who should be in your life. He 0:05:20.960 --> 0:05:24.039 knows where the danger is, where the dead ends are. 0:05:24.640 --> 0:05:28.279 God knows how to catapult you into your destiny. You 0:05:28.400 --> 0:05:32.720 have an advantage. Are you taking time for your daily bread? 0:05:33.560 --> 0:05:36.400 Sometimes we rush out of the house. I'm in a hurry. 0:05:36.920 --> 0:05:38.880 I don't have time today, Joe, I got to get 0:05:38.920 --> 0:05:42.800 to work. I live by this principle. Never meet with 0:05:42.880 --> 0:05:47.080 other people before you meet with God. If you'll take 0:05:47.160 --> 0:05:50.880 time to acknowledge God, say God, I need you today, 0:05:51.560 --> 0:05:54.400 Lead me, guide me, keep me on the right path. 0:05:54.880 --> 0:05:57.640 Not only will your day go better, but God will 0:05:57.720 --> 0:06:01.360 keep you from making mistakes. Few years before my dad 0:06:01.440 --> 0:06:04.279 went to be with the Lord, Victoria and I came 0:06:04.320 --> 0:06:08.800 across a construction permit for the last full power television 0:06:08.839 --> 0:06:12.839 station here in Houston. I had spent years behind the 0:06:12.839 --> 0:06:16.680 scenes here at Lakewood doing the television production. I was 0:06:16.760 --> 0:06:19.840 excited about being able to put this station on the air. 0:06:20.440 --> 0:06:23.240 We were building it from the ground up. We had 0:06:23.279 --> 0:06:26.360 to find a place for the tower, buy the programming, 0:06:26.720 --> 0:06:31.080 hire the staff. While it was exciting, I didn't have 0:06:31.200 --> 0:06:35.440 any experience in broadcast television. I knew a little bit 0:06:35.520 --> 0:06:40.440 about production, but this was beyond my expertise. I had 0:06:40.480 --> 0:06:43.400 to do what I'm asking you to do. I would 0:06:43.480 --> 0:06:46.560 start off every morning saying, God, I can't do this 0:06:46.680 --> 0:06:51.200 in my own strength, my own ability. I need your help. Lord. 0:06:51.279 --> 0:06:54.159 Guide me to the right people, lead me down the 0:06:54.240 --> 0:06:57.840 right path. God, keep me from making a mistake. What 0:06:57.920 --> 0:07:01.880 was I doing getting my daily bread, my daily instruction? 0:07:02.720 --> 0:07:05.520 And at one point we were about to purchase the 0:07:05.560 --> 0:07:09.640 most expensive and important piece of equipment for the station. 0:07:10.200 --> 0:07:13.000 Was going to cost a couple million dollars. Now, our 0:07:13.080 --> 0:07:16.480 engineers had researched it and come up with their recommendation 0:07:16.600 --> 0:07:19.280 for the make and the model. But a couple of 0:07:19.360 --> 0:07:23.520 days before we put the purchase order in, a friend 0:07:23.560 --> 0:07:27.200 of mine that I hadn't spoken to in years called 0:07:27.200 --> 0:07:30.600 out of the blue. We spoke for about fifteen minutes 0:07:31.200 --> 0:07:35.040 Just before he hung up, he made a comment about 0:07:35.080 --> 0:07:38.600 the manufacturer of the piece of equipment we were about 0:07:38.640 --> 0:07:42.080 to buy. He said, in passing how he had heard 0:07:42.440 --> 0:07:45.880 that that company was struggling, that they might go out 0:07:45.920 --> 0:07:49.480 of business. He made the statement, I feel bad for 0:07:49.640 --> 0:07:54.160 people who own their equipment. He had no idea we 0:07:54.160 --> 0:07:57.080 were about to place an order with them. When I 0:07:57.160 --> 0:08:00.160 heard that, chills went up and down my spine. He 0:08:00.160 --> 0:08:03.280 didn't know it, but God was using him to speak 0:08:03.320 --> 0:08:06.600 to me. When I hung up, I called our engineers. 0:08:07.000 --> 0:08:09.960 They researched it and found out what he was saying 0:08:10.120 --> 0:08:13.320 was true. If he'd have called a couple of days later, 0:08:13.720 --> 0:08:16.120 it would have been too late. We would have been 0:08:16.160 --> 0:08:19.800 stuck with something that could have been a big headache, outdated, 0:08:20.120 --> 0:08:24.200 not supported. Some people think that's a coincidence, but I 0:08:24.280 --> 0:08:28.520 know that was God directed my steps. That's what happens 0:08:28.800 --> 0:08:33.160 when you get your daily bread. When every morning you 0:08:33.320 --> 0:08:37.640 ask God for wisdom, you are showing your dependency on him. 0:08:38.360 --> 0:08:42.120 When you humble yourself like that, the scripture says God 0:08:42.160 --> 0:08:45.160 will exalt you. A lot of people these days, they're 0:08:45.200 --> 0:08:48.240 too prideful. Think I don't need any help. I can 0:08:48.280 --> 0:08:51.000 do this on my own, Joel, look at how successful 0:08:51.040 --> 0:08:55.160 I am already. Think about where you could be if 0:08:55.200 --> 0:08:58.760 you'd start acknowledging God. Think about the mistakes he could 0:08:58.800 --> 0:09:02.560 have saved you from. Think about the opportunity, the favor, 0:09:02.840 --> 0:09:06.839 the doors you couldn't open but God can't open. Don't 0:09:06.840 --> 0:09:09.840 do it on your own. That will limit you. Start 0:09:09.880 --> 0:09:15.040 getting your daily bread, your daily direction. When the Israelites 0:09:15.240 --> 0:09:18.720 were in the desert, headed toward the promised land, God 0:09:18.800 --> 0:09:22.280 gave them manna to eat each morning. It was something 0:09:22.400 --> 0:09:26.280 like bread that formed on the ground. The manna would 0:09:26.320 --> 0:09:30.120 only last for one day. Every morning they had to 0:09:30.160 --> 0:09:33.400 go out and get a fresh supply. But I'm sure 0:09:33.480 --> 0:09:36.520 some people thought, I don't feel like going out tomorrow. 0:09:36.920 --> 0:09:39.640 I'm gonna save some time and energy. I'm gonna gather 0:09:39.760 --> 0:09:42.679 up enough for the whole week. They woke up the 0:09:42.720 --> 0:09:46.440 next morning, all that manna was spoiled. You couldn't eat it. 0:09:47.080 --> 0:09:50.160 The principle was they had to go out and get 0:09:50.280 --> 0:09:55.160 fresh manna every day. The word manna in the original 0:09:55.200 --> 0:09:59.320 Hebrew is translated what is it when we go to 0:09:59.400 --> 0:10:03.440 God for our fresh manner? Each day? The right attitude 0:10:03.559 --> 0:10:06.400 is God, what is it you want me to do 0:10:07.200 --> 0:10:11.760 what is my assignment? Not giving God orders, telling him 0:10:11.760 --> 0:10:15.360 what to do how to do it. Rather, God, show 0:10:15.400 --> 0:10:18.880 me the best path, Show me how to overcome this problem, 0:10:19.240 --> 0:10:22.400 Show me how to accomplish my dreams. Are you getting 0:10:22.440 --> 0:10:26.880 your daily bread? Are you checking in with headquarters to 0:10:26.960 --> 0:10:30.880 get your assignment each morning asking God what is it? 0:10:32.040 --> 0:10:36.640 Or are you on autopilot just doing what you've always done. 0:10:36.679 --> 0:10:40.080 The challenge with that approach is what worked in the 0:10:40.120 --> 0:10:45.280 past may not work today. Sometimes God will do things 0:10:45.400 --> 0:10:49.160 a different way. When the Israelites needed water out there 0:10:49.160 --> 0:10:52.560 in the desert, they were thirsty. God told Moses to 0:10:52.720 --> 0:10:57.000 strike the rock. He struck it and water flowed out freely. 0:10:57.679 --> 0:11:02.559 Another time when they needed water, same situation, God told 0:11:02.600 --> 0:11:07.320 Moses to speak to the rock. The problem was Moses 0:11:07.440 --> 0:11:12.160 was on autopilot. He didn't listen. He thought, I got 0:11:12.200 --> 0:11:15.800 this no problem. I don't need to check in with headquarters. 0:11:16.080 --> 0:11:19.320 I don't need to get daily direction. I've overcome this 0:11:19.480 --> 0:11:23.120 problem before I can do it again. He struck the rock, 0:11:23.679 --> 0:11:28.600 same problem, same desert, similar rock. But God had a 0:11:28.640 --> 0:11:32.960 different plan. God was saying Moses, just because I had 0:11:33.000 --> 0:11:35.920 to do it that way last time doesn't mean I 0:11:35.960 --> 0:11:38.560 want you to do it that way this time. What 0:11:38.600 --> 0:11:42.480 am I saying? You can't live off of yesterday's manna 0:11:42.880 --> 0:11:48.480 and expect to have victory today. Yesterday's information may not 0:11:48.720 --> 0:11:52.600 work today. God is a god of freshness. He likes 0:11:52.640 --> 0:11:56.240 to do new things, and it's easy to get stuck 0:11:56.280 --> 0:12:00.720 in the rut thinking I don't need daily direction, Joel, 0:12:00.760 --> 0:12:03.840 I've overcome this problem before. I'm going to use the 0:12:03.920 --> 0:12:08.080 same tactics to overcome it this time. Like with Moses, 0:12:08.520 --> 0:12:12.040 sometimes the old way doesn't work. You need to get 0:12:12.080 --> 0:12:16.360 some fresh manna. If not, you'll keep striking the rock 0:12:16.640 --> 0:12:19.360 when you should be speaking to the rock. It's a 0:12:19.400 --> 0:12:22.760 small tweak, but you'll only hear it if you're getting 0:12:22.800 --> 0:12:27.720 your daily bread. Stay open for change, be willing to 0:12:27.760 --> 0:12:31.800 try something new. What made you successful five years ago 0:12:32.480 --> 0:12:35.920 may not make you successful today. What worked in your 0:12:35.960 --> 0:12:39.800 marriage in the past may not work today. Why don't 0:12:39.840 --> 0:12:43.760 you get some fresh manna? Have the attitude God, I'm 0:12:43.800 --> 0:12:47.440 ready for new things. I've heard it said if you 0:12:47.520 --> 0:12:52.880 don't innovate, you will evaporate. You can't rely on what 0:12:53.080 --> 0:12:55.880 got you to where you are to keep you where 0:12:55.880 --> 0:13:00.520 you are. The world is changing. Somebody wants you job, 0:13:01.120 --> 0:13:05.520 somebody wants your spouse, somebody wants your dreams. You can't 0:13:05.559 --> 0:13:09.320 afford to sit back on autopilot and just coast do 0:13:09.480 --> 0:13:13.000 things the same way, you'll get left behind. The good 0:13:13.040 --> 0:13:19.200 news is God has daily favor, daily ideas, daily wisdom, 0:13:19.400 --> 0:13:23.600 daily abundance. If you'll stay open, he'll lead you into 0:13:23.640 --> 0:13:27.640 the fullness of your destiny. Why couldn't Moses strike the 0:13:27.720 --> 0:13:32.640 rock again worth the first time. It's because God wants 0:13:32.679 --> 0:13:37.200 us to rely on him, not some formula, thinking well, 0:13:37.200 --> 0:13:39.320 if I do this and do that and do the other, 0:13:39.720 --> 0:13:42.920 then God will bless me. If that's all it took, 0:13:43.400 --> 0:13:47.160 we wouldn't really need God. Just follow these steps for success, 0:13:47.320 --> 0:13:52.520 just keep striking the rock on purpose. God changes the method, 0:13:53.000 --> 0:13:56.040 so we'll have to go to him for our daily bread. 0:13:56.800 --> 0:14:00.720 He's looking for people who recognize he the source of 0:14:00.760 --> 0:14:04.560 our strength. He's the source of our success. In him 0:14:04.760 --> 0:14:10.679 is health, freedom, ideas, abundance. When you rely on him, 0:14:11.240 --> 0:14:14.720 he'll take you from victory to victory. But here's the 0:14:14.760 --> 0:14:18.160 whole key. He may not do it the same way. 0:14:19.200 --> 0:14:22.760 Could it be that you are stuck. You're not seeing 0:14:22.800 --> 0:14:26.680 the progress that you should because you're still striking the 0:14:26.800 --> 0:14:30.240 rock when you should be speaking to the rock. You're 0:14:30.280 --> 0:14:33.640 stuck in tradition, in the way it happened in the past, 0:14:34.000 --> 0:14:37.600 trying to duplicate the same way. When God is wanting 0:14:37.680 --> 0:14:41.720 to do a new thing, a new way, with new ideas, 0:14:41.760 --> 0:14:45.480 with new people, bringing new talents out of you. If 0:14:45.520 --> 0:14:49.800 you'll start getting your daily bread, listening to what God 0:14:49.880 --> 0:14:53.400 is saying now, then you'll see that water begin to 0:14:53.480 --> 0:14:57.440 flow out of the rock in greater ways. David understood 0:14:57.480 --> 0:15:01.000 this principle in Second Samuel five. He had just been 0:15:01.080 --> 0:15:05.120 made king over Israel. When the Philistines heard about it, 0:15:05.600 --> 0:15:09.200 they came down to this valley to attack him. Now, 0:15:09.280 --> 0:15:13.520 David was a warrior. He had conquered a lot of armies. 0:15:13.720 --> 0:15:17.760 His nature was to attack. But here's why David was 0:15:17.840 --> 0:15:22.480 considered a man after God's own heart. Verse nineteen says 0:15:23.160 --> 0:15:28.120 David inquired of the Lord, shall I go attack the Philistines? 0:15:28.760 --> 0:15:33.440 Will you hand this enemy over to me? Notice his humility. 0:15:34.000 --> 0:15:36.720 He didn't say I got this, been there, done that, 0:15:36.840 --> 0:15:41.160 no problem. He took time to inquire of the Lord 0:15:41.960 --> 0:15:46.160 before he went to battle. He got quiet and said, God, 0:15:46.520 --> 0:15:49.000 what do you want me to do? He was getting 0:15:49.080 --> 0:15:54.080 his daily direction. He didn't assume because something worked in 0:15:54.120 --> 0:15:57.560 the past, it was going to work right there. He 0:15:57.680 --> 0:16:01.960 asked a very significant question, God, will you hand this 0:16:02.200 --> 0:16:05.960 enemy over to me? Seems like that would be a given. 0:16:06.680 --> 0:16:09.800 He was just put in charge of the Israelites, God's 0:16:09.920 --> 0:16:14.480 chosen people. Surely God wouldn't let them be defeated. But 0:16:14.520 --> 0:16:17.800 the fact is, we're not supposed to fight every battle. 0:16:18.640 --> 0:16:22.400 David was smart enough to ask, am I supposed to attack? 0:16:23.160 --> 0:16:26.200 He was saying, God, if I go in there, are 0:16:26.240 --> 0:16:29.040 you going to go with me? He was showing his 0:16:29.200 --> 0:16:34.560 dependency on God. He recognized where his strength, his favor, 0:16:34.800 --> 0:16:40.000 his ability came from. And sometimes we assume if there's 0:16:40.040 --> 0:16:43.800 an obstacle, there's something trying to stop us. There's no 0:16:43.920 --> 0:16:46.600 question get in there and go to battle. God is 0:16:46.640 --> 0:16:51.760 on our side. But a wiser approach is to say, God, 0:16:52.240 --> 0:16:55.080 what is your plan? How do you want me to 0:16:55.160 --> 0:16:59.600 respond to this opposition? Shall I attack? Or shall I 0:16:59.640 --> 0:17:02.720 be still ill and let you fight for me? If 0:17:02.720 --> 0:17:04.960 I go in, God, are you going to go with me? 0:17:05.920 --> 0:17:09.040 We've all fought battles where we didn't come out the 0:17:09.119 --> 0:17:13.400 way we thought. Maybe it was because we didn't inquire 0:17:13.560 --> 0:17:17.359 of the Lord. Verse nineteen goes on to say, the 0:17:17.400 --> 0:17:21.480 Lord said to David, go for I will surely hand 0:17:21.520 --> 0:17:25.440 the Philistines over to you. Once he got clear direction, 0:17:26.119 --> 0:17:28.880 once he knew he had God's blessing, he went down 0:17:28.920 --> 0:17:32.919 there and defeated the Philistines. But if we would do 0:17:33.119 --> 0:17:37.520 like David and inquire of the Lord before we get 0:17:37.520 --> 0:17:41.600 into conflict, before we make big decisions, go to God 0:17:42.200 --> 0:17:46.320 for daily direction, for daily manner, it would save us 0:17:46.520 --> 0:17:51.240 a lot of heartache and pain. I've learned what God orders, 0:17:51.560 --> 0:17:55.439 he will pay for. But God is not obligated to 0:17:55.520 --> 0:18:00.280 bring victory to battles that we're not supposed to be in. Yes, 0:18:00.320 --> 0:18:03.359 God is merciful, Yes he'll help us. But it's much 0:18:03.400 --> 0:18:09.080 better to inquire of the Lord before you make important decisions. 0:18:09.880 --> 0:18:13.120 A few months later, the Philistines came back to the 0:18:13.200 --> 0:18:17.879 same valley to attack David again. David could have thought, 0:18:18.160 --> 0:18:20.720 this is a no brainer. I don't even have to 0:18:20.760 --> 0:18:22.760 pray about it this time. I know what to do. 0:18:22.960 --> 0:18:27.480 Go down there and attack, But David realized he couldn't 0:18:27.520 --> 0:18:33.320 live off a yesterday's manner. He knew yesterday's information may 0:18:33.359 --> 0:18:38.800 not be appropriate for today's challenge. This scripture says David 0:18:39.000 --> 0:18:43.480 inquired of the Lord again, and the Lord said, do 0:18:43.640 --> 0:18:49.160 not attack them, same valley, same enemy. But God said, 0:18:49.160 --> 0:18:51.560 this time, I'm going to do it a different way. 0:18:52.280 --> 0:18:54.399 I don't want you to go down and attack. I 0:18:54.480 --> 0:18:57.679 want you to circle around them. He went on to 0:18:57.760 --> 0:19:01.000 tell them when they heard the sound of rustling in 0:19:01.080 --> 0:19:04.160 the mulberry trees, that was a sign that He had 0:19:04.160 --> 0:19:07.960 gone before them to defeat their enemies. Then they were 0:19:08.000 --> 0:19:11.000 to go in at once. But if David had not 0:19:11.200 --> 0:19:13.840 inquired of the Lord, he would have done it the 0:19:13.880 --> 0:19:17.040 first way. That's common sense. Hey, it worked last time, 0:19:17.200 --> 0:19:19.800 I'm sure it's going to work this time. But God's 0:19:19.840 --> 0:19:23.240 ways are not our ways. He doesn't want you to 0:19:23.280 --> 0:19:26.120 get hooked on a formula. He wants you to be 0:19:26.280 --> 0:19:30.440 hooked on him. When you developed this habit of going 0:19:30.480 --> 0:19:35.200 to God for your daily bread, daily direction, saying, God, 0:19:35.560 --> 0:19:38.359 how do you want me to respond? How should I 0:19:38.400 --> 0:19:41.840 deal with this situation in my health, my finances. God 0:19:42.040 --> 0:19:46.080 give me your wisdom, your insight, your favor. That's how 0:19:46.119 --> 0:19:49.840 God will lead you down the best path for your life. 0:19:49.960 --> 0:19:52.879 In my early twenties, there was this couple I knew 0:19:52.920 --> 0:19:56.080 that I really liked, and I went overboard to be 0:19:56.200 --> 0:19:59.199 good to them, and they were kind of friendly to me, 0:19:59.280 --> 0:20:02.879 but it was always like I wasn't doing enough. My 0:20:03.080 --> 0:20:06.960 nature was to do more. I showed them favor when they, 0:20:07.280 --> 0:20:10.040 several years later moved to a different city. I gave 0:20:10.080 --> 0:20:13.240 them money for their moving cost, helped them pack up 0:20:13.280 --> 0:20:16.239 their house. I knew down in here, that's what I 0:20:16.320 --> 0:20:19.280 was supposed to be doing, taking the high road, going 0:20:19.320 --> 0:20:21.960 the extra mile. I felt good about it, and I 0:20:22.000 --> 0:20:25.000 believed that God blessed me for it. But a couple 0:20:25.040 --> 0:20:28.360 of years after they had moved, I received word from 0:20:28.400 --> 0:20:31.159 a friend of mine that they were upset with me 0:20:31.800 --> 0:20:35.600 because they didn't think i'd help them enough. Here I'd 0:20:35.640 --> 0:20:38.919 helped them more than I'd helped anybody, and back then 0:20:39.320 --> 0:20:42.879 that really bothered me, because I wanted everybody to like me. 0:20:43.640 --> 0:20:45.840 I was tempted to go and try to do more 0:20:45.920 --> 0:20:48.280 and try to make it up to them. But when 0:20:48.320 --> 0:20:51.800 I prayed about it, when I asked God for daily direction, 0:20:52.440 --> 0:20:55.880 I heard it so strongly, not out loud, but down 0:20:55.960 --> 0:21:00.480 in here, something said, Joel, leave them alone, never going 0:21:00.520 --> 0:21:05.040 to be for you. Same battle, same people, but different approach. 0:21:05.920 --> 0:21:08.919 If I hadn't have learned what I'm telling you today 0:21:09.400 --> 0:21:13.720 to get daily direction, then I would still be frustrated 0:21:14.160 --> 0:21:17.160 trying to convince somebody to like me that was never 0:21:17.200 --> 0:21:20.640 going to light me. Are you fighting battles that you're 0:21:20.640 --> 0:21:24.480 not supposed to fight? If God hasn't given you permission, 0:21:25.040 --> 0:21:27.080 then you're going to do it in your own strength, 0:21:27.600 --> 0:21:31.240 your own ability. It will be a constant struggle. There's 0:21:31.280 --> 0:21:34.800 no grace for it. Just because it was right last 0:21:34.840 --> 0:21:39.359 time doesn't mean that it's right this time. Like David, 0:21:39.400 --> 0:21:42.720 you may be skilled in battle, You're tough, you can 0:21:42.760 --> 0:21:45.159 take on the best of them, but you have to 0:21:45.240 --> 0:21:49.040 check in with headquarters. You have to get your assignment. God, 0:21:49.080 --> 0:21:52.320 am I supposed to fight this battle? Show me the 0:21:52.400 --> 0:21:56.720 right steps to take. Then listen to what you're feeling 0:21:56.800 --> 0:22:00.400 down in here, not in your head, but in your heart. 0:22:00.640 --> 0:22:05.080 The scripture calls it the still small voice. It's an impression. 0:22:05.600 --> 0:22:08.479 You can't explain it. You just know this is what 0:22:08.520 --> 0:22:12.480 I'm supposed to do. That's God giving you daily direction. 0:22:13.560 --> 0:22:16.679 This is where Joshua and the Israelites got off course. 0:22:17.359 --> 0:22:19.800 They had just seen the walls of Jericho come down 0:22:20.119 --> 0:22:23.520 great miracle. They had defeated other armies along the way. 0:22:24.080 --> 0:22:27.000 God's favor was on them. But there was a group 0:22:27.040 --> 0:22:31.760 of people called the Gibeonites. They lived about two cities 0:22:31.840 --> 0:22:36.280 over from where Joshua and the Israelites were canned. When 0:22:36.320 --> 0:22:41.040 they heard how powerful and successful the Israelites were, they 0:22:41.080 --> 0:22:45.160 knew they couldn't compete with them, and they too were 0:22:45.200 --> 0:22:48.360 going to be driven out of their land. So they 0:22:48.400 --> 0:22:51.639 came up with a plan to try to deceive Joshua. 0:22:52.520 --> 0:22:56.960 They loaded their donkeys up with old, run down, worn 0:22:56.960 --> 0:23:01.199 out sacks. They put on clothes that had in them 0:23:01.440 --> 0:23:05.760 sandals that were falling apart. They left food out on purpose, 0:23:06.200 --> 0:23:09.280 so that it would be old and moldy and steal. 0:23:09.840 --> 0:23:12.920 They did this to make it seem like they had 0:23:12.960 --> 0:23:19.000 traveled a great distance, And they showed up at Joshua's camp. Said, Joshua, 0:23:19.359 --> 0:23:23.119 we've come from a far far land. We've traveled for 0:23:23.320 --> 0:23:28.320 months and months. We're tired, we're hungry. Please, Joshua, make 0:23:28.359 --> 0:23:31.879 a peace treaty with us. Let us live here. We 0:23:32.040 --> 0:23:36.560 promised we'll work for you. Joshua said, in effect, how 0:23:36.560 --> 0:23:39.640 do I know you're not from one of these neighboring 0:23:39.720 --> 0:23:43.040 cities I'm about to conquer How can I be sure 0:23:43.200 --> 0:23:46.639 you don't live close by, They said, Joshua, look at 0:23:46.640 --> 0:23:50.240 this bread. It was freshly baked when we left home. 0:23:50.640 --> 0:23:54.040 Now it's old and moldy. Look at these clothes. They 0:23:54.040 --> 0:23:57.520 were dry clean before we left. This shirt had starch 0:23:57.600 --> 0:24:00.280 in it. Look at it now, Joshua said, let me 0:24:00.280 --> 0:24:03.680 see that bread. He looked at it. It was old, smelled badly. 0:24:04.480 --> 0:24:09.840 The scripture says the Israelites examined their bread, but they 0:24:09.920 --> 0:24:13.479 did not consult with the Lord. It looked like they 0:24:13.520 --> 0:24:17.080 were telling the truth. Everything on the surface seemed like 0:24:17.119 --> 0:24:21.200 they were straight up people. So Joshua signed a peace 0:24:21.240 --> 0:24:25.360 treaty with them, saying, fine, you can live here. Don't worry, 0:24:25.560 --> 0:24:29.600 We'll never hurt you. Three days later the truth came out. 0:24:30.280 --> 0:24:34.640 Joshua discovered they weren't who they said they were. They 0:24:34.640 --> 0:24:37.560 were from a city, just a couple of towns over. 0:24:38.240 --> 0:24:41.639 The Israelite people were furious. They were ready to wipe 0:24:41.680 --> 0:24:45.160 them out. Let them have it. Joshua said, no, don't 0:24:45.200 --> 0:24:48.800 touch them. We gave them our word. If we break 0:24:48.800 --> 0:24:52.359 our agreement, God will come against us. It was a 0:24:52.400 --> 0:24:55.960 big headache. It all could have been avoided. The whole 0:24:56.000 --> 0:25:00.520 problem was they did not consult with the Lord. They 0:25:00.680 --> 0:25:04.600 just looked at it. On the surface, everything seemed fine. 0:25:05.240 --> 0:25:08.880 But God can see things that we can't see. That's 0:25:08.920 --> 0:25:12.120 why you need to go to him before you get 0:25:12.160 --> 0:25:16.600 involved with people, before you sign the contract, before you 0:25:16.720 --> 0:25:20.879 put the money down, do yourself a favor and consult 0:25:20.960 --> 0:25:25.200 with the Lord, because people are not always who they 0:25:25.240 --> 0:25:28.639 say they are. They can show you one side, the 0:25:28.720 --> 0:25:31.879 side they want you to see, but God can see 0:25:32.200 --> 0:25:35.760 the whole package. You can't get so caught up in 0:25:35.880 --> 0:25:42.200 how fine she is, how beautiful she looks. Joey, he's tall, dark, handsome, 0:25:42.560 --> 0:25:45.520 and rich. I don't have to consult with the Lord. 0:25:45.720 --> 0:25:50.680 The Lord just answered my prayer. You better step back, Joshua. 0:25:51.240 --> 0:25:53.840 You may end up with somebody that's not who you 0:25:53.960 --> 0:25:57.480 think they are. If you're married, don't say amen. 0:25:57.560 --> 0:25:57.720 Now. 0:25:59.480 --> 0:26:02.520 There are two young ladies in their early twenties. They 0:26:02.520 --> 0:26:07.400 had traveled from their home in southern California down to Tijuana, Mexico, 0:26:07.840 --> 0:26:10.800 to go Christmas shopping for the day. When they returned 0:26:10.840 --> 0:26:14.119 to their car, they noticed what looked like a little 0:26:14.119 --> 0:26:18.680 puppy looked just like a little chihuahua. It was squirming 0:26:18.720 --> 0:26:21.199 there in the gutter and they could tell it was 0:26:21.240 --> 0:26:24.240 in a lot of pain. Feeling sorry for it, they 0:26:24.280 --> 0:26:26.240 picked it up and put it in the trunk of 0:26:26.280 --> 0:26:28.760 their car. They were going to take it home and 0:26:28.800 --> 0:26:31.439 didn't want the border patrol to see it. One of 0:26:31.440 --> 0:26:35.280 the girls took it into her apartment gave it some milk, 0:26:35.359 --> 0:26:37.840 trying to nurse it back to health. She tried to 0:26:37.880 --> 0:26:40.800 feed it, but it wouldn't eat anything. That night, she 0:26:40.880 --> 0:26:43.040 wrapped it in a blanket and put it in her 0:26:43.040 --> 0:26:45.840 bed with her and all through the night making sure 0:26:45.880 --> 0:26:49.240 it was okay. The next morning it was doing worse 0:26:49.280 --> 0:26:52.880 than ever. She rushed it to the emergency animal clinic, 0:26:53.320 --> 0:26:57.040 handed it to the veterinarian began to describe the symptoms. 0:26:57.480 --> 0:26:59.920 The doctor stopped her and said where did you get 0:27:00.119 --> 0:27:03.439 this animal. She thought she was in trouble for bringing 0:27:03.480 --> 0:27:06.760 it across the border, and she finally said, well, my 0:27:06.840 --> 0:27:10.560 friend and I found this little chihuahua in the gutter 0:27:10.840 --> 0:27:14.480 in Tijuana. He said, young lady, this is not a chihuahua. 0:27:14.760 --> 0:27:21.000 This is a Mexican river rat. Everything is not what 0:27:21.119 --> 0:27:25.600 it seems. You better consult with the Lord. You don't 0:27:25.600 --> 0:27:29.760 want any rats living in your house. I'm asking you 0:27:29.840 --> 0:27:34.639 today to go to God for daily direction. You're not 0:27:34.760 --> 0:27:38.280 going to make the best decisions if you're not consulting 0:27:38.359 --> 0:27:41.639 with the Lord. Don't do like Joshua, try to figure 0:27:41.680 --> 0:27:44.600 it out in your own strength. Do like David and 0:27:44.720 --> 0:27:49.880 inquire of the Lord. Remember, yesterday's manna is not going 0:27:49.920 --> 0:27:53.080 to be good for today. If you'll develop this habit 0:27:53.320 --> 0:27:56.720 of going to God for fresh manna, I believe and 0:27:56.760 --> 0:27:59.720 declare God is going to lead you down the best 0:27:59.760 --> 0:28:03.080 path for your life. He's going to protect you from mistakes, 0:28:03.280 --> 0:28:06.199 bring the right people, and take you to the fullness 0:28:06.240 --> 0:28:09.840 of your destiny. In Jesus' name. If you receive it, 0:28:10.000 --> 0:28:14.040 can you say amen? I'd like to give you an 0:28:14.040 --> 0:28:17.720 opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would 0:28:17.720 --> 0:28:22.639 you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent 0:28:22.680 --> 0:28:27.520 of my sins, Come into my heart. I make you 0:28:27.600 --> 0:28:32.159 my Lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, 0:28:32.359 --> 0:28:35.120 we believe you got born again. Get in a good 0:28:35.119 --> 0:28:38.040 Bible based church, Keep God first place. 0:28:38.800 --> 0:28:42.240 Thank you for listening to the Joelus Deine podcast. Help 0:28:42.320 --> 0:28:45.040 us continue to share the message of hope with those 0:28:45.160 --> 0:28:48.760 all over the world. Visit joelus Deine dot com slash 0:28:48.800 --> 0:28:50.800 give hope to give a gift today. 0:28:52.080 --> 0:28:55.000 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:28:55.000 --> 0:28:58.400 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:28:58.480 --> 0:29:01.680 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:29:01.840 --> 0:29:04.320 I know God's best is still ahead. 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