What's Your Batting Average?

Dear Children,

Today I was blessed in reading I Corinthians 16 and I want to pass on to you the reason for the blessing. After reading and meditating on the great problems found in the church at Corinth that Paul had to deal with--church splits, sexual immorality (fornication, adultery, incest and homosexuality), lawsuits among believers, marriage and divorce, meat eaters and vegetarians, how much to pay the preacher, short and long hair, the Lord’s supper, spiritual gifts, meaning of love, tongues, the resurrection and second coming)--it was a relief to read a chapter with no major problems and even see where Paul had some doubts and issues of his own.

I found that Paul didn’t always bat a thousand when determining the Lord’s will. I recently celebrated my 55th birthday as a child of God. So many times over those years I have had to make decisions that I wasn’t absolutely sure were the right ones. Even now after walking with the Lord for more than 5 decades I often find myself questioning the Lord’s will when a decision has to be made. So often I hear Christians saying, “The Lord told me.” I have never used that expression, because I feel that would put the Lord to blame should whatever He “told me” prove wrong. Of course many who use that expression always find a way to justify the outcome regardless of how it may look.

Another reason I don’t use that expression is that I don’t know that the Lord has ever “told me” anything. The Lord has often shown me things in his word and I have acted on them. Even there I keep in mind I am fallible and can make mistakes in my application. I know the Holy Spirit leads us and gives peace and assurance in knowing the will of God. However there are times I am turned off by those who seem to have a heavenly, infallible, spiritual GPS. I have made some decisions over the years that I was absolutely certain of, that I prayed over, and they turned out to be wrong. I thank the Lord for closing those doors! How often have I heard someone say after making an absolutely dumb decision, “I prayed about it” as if that justified it.

Back to I Corinthians 16. I read, “If it be fitting that I go…”(4); “It may be....I winter with you…withersoever I go” (6); “I trust (hope) to tarry a while with you if the Lord permit” (7); “Now if Timothy comes…” (10); “…I greatly desired him to come unto you…but his will was not to come at this time; but he will come when he shall have convenient time” (12). Paul didn’t bat 1,000 and neither has your dad!

“My Love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen"

Dad