DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- FATHER KNOWS BEST

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – FATHER KNOWS BEST

'"For I do not wish to see you now on the way; but I hope to stay a while with you, if the Lord permits......Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to come to you with the brethren, but he was quite unwilling to come at this time, however, he will come when he has a convenient time." (I Corinthians 16:7, 12)

What is the relationship of our desires and plans to God's will? In this passage, we find that the Apostle Paul did not want to come to them at that present time, but wanted to delay his coming when he could stay with them awhile. He also expressed his desire that Apollos would go to Corinth, but Apollos didn't want to go at that time, but would come later. Those were Paul's desires.

Paul gives an answer to the question: "if the Lord permits." We make our plans and it can be frustrating when our desires are not immediately fulfilled. The only way to find peace is to commit it to the Lord's desire.

It can be especially frustrating when other people do not follow our desires. Apollos had a mind of his own, and he was not about to cow-tow to the Apostle Paul. Perhaps because of other obligations, it was not an opportune time for him to make the journey to Corinth. At any rate, it was not convenient.

Each person has to determine the Lord's will for his or her own self. We listen to other people's advice, and if we are under the authority of someone else, we need to submit to their counsel. But ultimately, we have to follow the Lord. If our spirits are sensitive, we can sense if the Lord is giving permission regarding something. There will be a sense of peace and God's guidance.

Proverbs 16:9 says, "A man's heart plans his ways, but the LORD directs his steps." If our desire is to please the Lord, our plans and desires will always be subject to "if the LORD permits it."

In our younger days, Mildred and I had a desire to serve the Lord as vocational missionaries to Spanish-speaking people. God never permitted that to happen. But we kept serve the Lord anyway. It was frustrating, but in retrospect, we can see that God's way was best, even though our desires were never fulfilled. To use a common quotation, "Father knows best."

Love, Dad