Let God Choose for You

Let’s look at another lesson that God and life have taught me. I think this is a very important one, it’s one that’s become more vivid and clear for me in recent years. I’d express it this way: Let God choose for you. You’ve probably heard the saying God gives his best to those who leave the choice to him? I believe that’s profoundly true. I was very much impressed some time back by a statement made by John the Baptist in John 3:27. We need to get it in the context.

“Some people came to John and said to him, Rabbi, he who is with you beyond the Jordan, to who you have testified, behold, he is baptizing and all are coming to him.”

In other words, you’re losing your popularity, your rating is slipping. You’re not number one any longer, there’s another one. How would you feel about that? How would I feel about that? I think John’s response is a beautiful pattern.

“John answered and said: A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.”

Now I used to ponder that statement and I thought to myself I really don’t see that that’s exactly accurate. Because I see lots of people who have things and I don’t believe they were all given to them from heaven. Even in the ministry and in church life. And as I was kind of debating this with the Lord I felt he directed my attention to the word receive. And he said a man can received nothing unless it has been given him from above. And I felt the Lord was showing me that you can grab for things but that’s not the same as receiving them. But if something is given you from above then you have the right to receive it. And I felt God indicated to me that the things people get by grabbing they will not keep. The only things which are permanent are those which are given us from above. And I have tried to cultivate that attitude in my ministry. Let’s be frank about it. To see somebody else more successful than yourself is a kind of challenge, especially if you’re a success oriented person. And I am. I was born that way. I expect to succeed. I always have expected to succeed. Not in everything but in the things that I think are worth doing. And there are times when it seems that somebody who is not so deserving is being more successful. I’m sure you’ve never had that problem! What is the answer? I think the answer is to cultivate this attitude: A man can receive
nothing unless it is given him from above. And I think I have arrived at the stage where I’m not interested in anything if it isn’t given me from above. Because it’s ultimately going to cause me more headaches and frustrations than blessings.

Now, side by side with that verse there I’d like to give you also one that’s become extremely real to me in John 10:29. I’m going to read the version I have here but I’m going to suggest an alternative reading. Jesus is speaking about those whom the Father has given to him. And he says:

“My Father who has given them to me is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”

Now, that’s the standard reading, but it so happens, in the Greek, one text that I read which I think is based on Nestle, it’s different. And if you have a New International Version it should be in the margin in the bottom, there’s an alternative reading, is that right? And the alternative reading is:

“That which my Father has given me is greater than all.”

Now I’m not contending for the reading but when I found that it spoke to me. That which the Father has given is greater than all. It doesn’t set aside, each complements the other. But a particular situation that I was in, I felt I was called upon to renounce something which I believe was God’s will for me. And it was a very difficult and painful decision. But when I made it, I came across this scripture: That which the Father has given is greater than all. And I came to the conclusion that if I was right in believing that the Father had given me this, there was no power in the universe that could ultimately prevent me having it. And I rested in that and it worked out that way. So this has become very real. That which the Father has given is the ultimate in the universe. When all the dust has settled and all the battles are over, it’ll be the way the Father gave it.

There is no power in the universe that is greater than that. And I have come to the place where I don’t want anything that the Father hasn’t given me. That’s sufficient. And that has given me a rest and a security. Other people may seem to succeed in ways I wouldn’t approve of. I don’t know whether you’ve ever had that problem but I see some people using very, very carnal and sometimes crooked methods and chalking up success. I see people denying things that I might consider to be very, very important and teaching contrary to them. But it no longer worries me because that which the Father has given is greater than all. That’s the way it’s going to be. And I have got my own garden to cultivate, I don’t have to run around and check on the weeds in other people’s gardens. I do believe I can say I have rest and security in that attitude.

I would like to make this observation and it may come out of the next thing I’m going to say anyhow. I think one of the biggest problems that hinders successful ministry is insecurity. I have come to the conclusion that I would like to relate to people who are secure and prosperous. The most difficult kind of person to relate to is an insecure person. Now that’s not to criticize the insecure. I also wonder—and this is a very important question—whether ultimately God will allow his servants to grasp for security in human relationships. I find lots of people come into relationships because they’re insecure. Brother, you take responsibility for me, I’ll do anything you tell me. Well, that’s good in many ways but I want to suggest to you that God will not let you stop there. There will have to come a place where your security is in your relationship with the Lord, no matter how people treat you. And if you are relying on your brothers for your securities, sooner or later God will let one of them stab you in the back just to show you that that’s not the ultimate source of security. Now I do believe we have a tremendous responsibility to one another. I believe many times we need to nurture people into security. But never let people find their ultimate security in horizontal relationships.

I’ve just completed a book called “Chords from David’s Harp” which is devotional on the psalms and one of the devotionals is on the first verse of Psalm 23, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not lack." To me that’s the most complete statement of security anybody could ever make. I shall not lack. There will never be a need in my life which will not be supplied. It’s on the basis of what? My relationship with the Lord. The Lord is my shepherd. Now that does not set aside human relationships but it does mean that the vertical is primary. The horizontal should grow out of the vertical. What are the marks of insecurity? Challenges tend to frighten you, you’re looking for approval on the horizontal level. Now I enjoy approval. Everybody that comes up to me and says thank you, Brother Prince, it was a wonderful message. I appreciate that, I don’t want to stop that but it isn’t the ultimate. I find that people who are insecure tend to fly off the handle or blow the stack. Not because they’re bad people but because they’re insecure. If anything doesn’t go the way they think it ought to go they tend to lose control even if it’s in disciplining their own children. It’s probably, I think, the greatest enemy of true relationships. And it’s rampant in our contemporary culture. Most people in America today are insecure. I think the word “My Father” has got something to say. My Father who has given them, or that which my Father has given is greater than all. It’s a great comfort to me to know I have a heavenly father who is in charge of everything, started it all and will work it all out precisely the way he intended. I find I get much less upset about things than I would have done twenty years ago. David said the wicked may prosper for a short while but they’ll wither like grass. I think I’ve lived long enough to see that happen. David said I’ve been young and now I’m old but I’ve never seen the righteous forsaken or his seed begging bread. He was not just giving a theory, he was saying the result of personal observation. God says in the book of Proverb: His children shall have strong confidence, they shall have a place of refuge. He is Almighty.

In this context let’s look at one other scripture. Matthew 5:5. I don’t think most of us spend long enough in the beatitudes and I’m saying that to myself primarily.

“Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.”

Who is going to inherit the earth? The meek. Not the strong, not the grabber, not the self promoter but the meek. We win by yielding. I think there’s a hymn that says that. Think of Abraham. He and Lot were together, Lot was just a follower. God had promised Abraham the Land of Canaan. When they had to separate Abraham could have so easily said I’m the older, I’m the senior, God promised me this land, this is what I’m having, you find something else. But out of his security he said to Lot, the younger, you choose. That’s real security. I suppose he knew that God’s promise couldn’t fail him. Grabbers are very insecure people. Don’t grab. Don’t reach, don’t strive. Read Psalm 37. Don’t fret yourself because of the wicked.