Before refrigerators, people used icehouses to preserve their food. Icehouses had thick walls, no windows, and a tightly fitted door. In the winter, when streams and lakes were frozen, large blocks of ice were cut, hauled to the icehouses, and covered with sawdust causing the ice to last well into the summer.
While working in an icehouse, a man lost a valuable watch. He searched diligently for it, carefully raking through the sawdust, but he couldn’t find it. His fellow workers also looked, but their efforts proved futile. A small boy heard about their search and slipped into the icehouse during the noon hour, and soon emerged with the watch. Amazed, the men asked him how he found it.
“I closed the door, lay down in the sawdust, and kept very still. Soon I heard the watch ticking.” (Source: Directions, James Hamilton)
When meeting alone with God, do not rush. Be still and be silent, for the Holy Spirit speaks in a still, small voice.
Slow…everything…down…and…wait…on…God.
“Impatience is the greatest enemy of God’s best.” Read that again, because you’re going to need to repeat it to yourself…often. It will guard you from your natural impatient tendencies which cheat you of of discerning God’s clear leading. As you pray and meditate on the Scriptures, listen to the Holy Spirit.
“And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:27-28)
Avoid presumptuous decisions. These will surely be regretted causing you to miss God’s best. If you don’t believe me, just ask the children of Israel when they decided not to trust the Lord for the Promised Land. Their faithless fiasco led to forty years of wilderness wanderings. They learned that not waiting on God costs you—big time!
To know the will of God, you must close the door to distractions by spending quiet time alone with God. Bring to the Lord your specific requests. Write them down. Spread them before the Lord. Pray for them by name. Occasional meetings with God will never do. You must meet daily.
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
And you must ask with an open mind for the Spirit of God to lead you. A wise person observed, “It’s hard to hear God’s voice when you’ve already decided what you want Him to say.” Avoid coming to God with your preconceived ideas, and don’t confuse your feelings with God’s peace. The only way to discern the difference is by waiting upon God. Your feelings will change with your circumstances, but waiting on the Lord will filter your decisions from self-serving desires.
Remember, the Spirit of God, the Word of God, and the will of God are always in agreement. George Muller said, “If you have the Holy Spirit, He will lead you according to the Bible, and not against it.” When in doubt, don’t! You don’t need to kick a door open and force the will of God to happen. If God is clearly leading, He will give you His peace in the choices, and open the doors He desires you to walk through. Making decisions of faith are not always easy decisions, but God will give you the peace of the Holy Spirit if you’re willing to wait upon Him.
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” (Isaiah 26:3)