Low on the Go!

wow i'm just blogging away eh? i wanted to post this, because i found it to be a good read...not so applicable for myself, since i am very single...and couldn't even picture myself dating a non-Christian guy ( imagine date#2: "so honey, would you like to listen to john piper tonight?" haha what a disaster that would be)...
nevertheless i found this to be interesting and i know its applicable in the lives of some of my friends.

Circumstances and Providence by Carolyn McCulley
In my book, I looked at the story of Ruth and how Naomi surveyed her forlorn circumstances and concluded that God's hand had gone out against her. She was convinced there would be no further favor from God. But God's providence is quiet and often hard to detect until viewed in hindsight. Such was the case with Naomi. She had no idea that as she returned home to Bethlehem in time for the barley harvest that this would be the very same harvest God would use to bless her beyond her wildest hopes.

There is a flip side to how we view our circumstances and God's providence. In Naomi's case, she didn't see anything favorable happening so she surmised God would not bless her once again. But what if circumstances seem to hand us exactly what we want? Is that automatically confirmation of God's will? Not necessarily. Bruce Waltke addresses this in his book, Finding the Will of God. In his chapter on providence, he writes: "God gave us the Bible so that we would have His truth and could live our lives by its light. Do not put circumstances above God's Word. Don't allow your circumstances to contradict God's Word."

Dr. Waltke illustrates this concept from the account of David and Saul in the cave, found in 1 Samuel 24:1-22. Saul had been hunting David, and suddenly he enters the cave where David and his men are hiding out. Saul is in a vulnerable position as he relieves himself and it seems that God has delivered him straight into David's hands. As Dr. Waltke writes:

David had the opportunity to kill his enemy. The circumstances were propitious. The ruffians around David tried to convince him with an argument of circumstances: "It's perfect! It must be God's will!" So David began to follow them, and cut off a corner of the king's garment as a sign of insurrection. But then David's conscience smote him because Scriptures say you cannot touch God's anointed. Once God has anointed someone with holy oil, the Lord Himself must dispose of him. David was not to do it on his own terms. He was not to put a fortuitous circumstance above the Word of God. You can't take a bit of good timing as concrete evidence of God's will. You can't take God's providence and make it normative for every situation, or you will get into big trouble. David could have brought permanent harm to Israel by usurping the throne through violence.
As I meditated on this passage and Dr. Waltke's exposition, I had a burden for a few women who might be reading this post today and be tempted by their own circumstances. Specifically, I sensed the Lord may want to gently warn the Christian woman who is in a relationship with an unbelieving man. Your circumstances may be like Naomi's--you've surveyed the church and concluded that there are no single men around you. Or the men in your church have never pursued a relationship with you. You only see barrenness and drought where you thought there would be blessing. Then your circumstances have connected you with a non-Christian single man who has expressed some kind of interest. Perhaps you've subtly pursued him or he's asked you out a few times. You have friends like David's, friends who speculate as to whether or not this man has come into your life for a reason. Maybe you can change him. Maybe you will have a godly influence on him. No one else is asking you out, so this must be God's will. . . right?

Yet, your conscience nags you. You know that if this relationship progresses you may be tempted to immorality because his standards are not yours. Or you may end up being unequally yoked in marriage, a direct violation of Scripture. "But," you say to yourself, "he's the only one paying any attention to me! Surely God has opened this door."

You may be right. God may have opened the door. But not so you could walk through it in this manner. He may have opened the door for another reason entirely. You must weigh your circumstances against God's explicit commands in Scripture. If you are still conflicted, seek counsel from your pastor and/or a mature believer. But please don't believe God's providential ordering of your circumstances means you can disobey His Word. Our subjective interpretation of the events of our lives is always to be submitted to the objective Word.

And it may be that God providentially led you to read this entry today just so you can back away from temptation. I have prayed as I've written this post that the Holy Spirit will use it to glorify our Lord Jesus Christ in just this way.

Consider it kind counsel from a friend.