Have you ever made a decision to do something and then experienced an uneasiness or restlessness that you couldn’t seem to shake? Is it possible that the Holy Spirit was saying, “No” or “Wait” for a reason you didn’t understand?
One day a friend of mine called to invite me to attend a women’s conference where she was to be the keynote speaker. Without hesitation, I agreed to go. I wanted to be supportive to my friend both in attendance and intercessory prayer.
Moments after hanging up the phone, I felt unrest in my soul. All day long I wrestled with this unsettled feeling. By evening, it became so intense that I asked the Lord, “What are you saying? Are you telling me not to go?” Humanly speaking, staying home didn’t make sense. After all, this was ministry and Christians are supposed to support one another. Once again, I felt that same stirring in my soul. I knew I wasn’t supposed to go for whatever reason.
As I wrestled with the decision, a scripture from Isaiah 55:12 raced through my mind, “You will be led forth with peace.” At that moment, I realized that I was not being led by peace. That settled it for me — I was not going.
Calling my friend to decline the invitation was one of the most difficult phone calls I’ve ever made. It was especially hard because I didn’t have a good reason for not going except that I felt unsettled about it and didn’t know why! To top it off, there was no one else available to go with her. She would be required to travel alone without support.
I could hear the disappointment in her voice when I told her that I couldn’t go. I felt terrible. After hanging up the phone I prayed that someone would volunteer to go with her so she wouldn’t have to go alone. Within a few short hours, another friend agreed to go and I breathed a sigh of relief!
The day my friend was scheduled to speak, my oldest daughter was rushed to the hospital to have emergency gall bladder surgery. I was needed to care for her three small children. It was a challenging three days to say the least with babysitting, cooking, and hospital visits.
God knew in advance that all of this was going to happen. We have no way of knowing what’s just around the corner in our lives. He leads us by His peace – that is, when we allow Him to do so. I’m sure that I’ve missed his direction at times simply because I wasn’t tuned into that still small voice within.
I challenge you today, allow God to direct your path in everything you do. When making decisions, be sensitized to any unrest you might experience. Trust Him even if He says “no” or “wait.”
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
Isaiah 55:12