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When it comes to decision making, God never intended us to operate on a hit or miss basis. He does not operate that way. And He certainly does not expect us to operate that way either.


We know how special we are to God because He gave us freedom of choice. So, since God created us to make decisions, then we can be sure that He has also given us the proper way to make those decisions. He will show us what to do and give us the necessary steps that are involved.

God gave us His Word, the Bible, as a model and a guide for how we are to conduct our lives. And that is where we find a pattern for decision-making. The pattern applies to "natural" decisions as well as "spiritual" decisions.

The following Scriptures contain the outline of Godly decision-making. Read them carefully because they are important in understanding how decisions are made. And pay special attention to the seven highlighted words:
By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.

By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should tough them. By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.
(Heb. 11:24-29)
This passage show us seven steps that Moses took in forming his decision to lead God's people out of Egypt. We will see how Moses weighed the options, and in a follow-up article, we will examine what he chose and refused in the process. Then we will study the essential "action steps" that he took in fulfilling the direction that god had given him.

As you study this process you will see the pattern for making decisions in your life. Probably of most importance you will learn that all seven steps are required to complete this Godly decision-making process.

Many people only get to a point of mental assent in the decision-making process. In other words, a person can have a strong desire to do something and believe in his mind that he has made a decision to do it, but never get around to actually doing it. He never follows through, he never makes it happen. (How may times in the past have you made a resolution to accomplish a certain goal or to change a behavior only to have it slip away?)

But by learning the procedures and rules that God teaches, you will understand how to make quality choices and decisions. And you will learn how to act upon your decisions to achieve the desires, goals, plans and dreams that God has given you.

By the way, sometimes people put off making decisions believing that they have not "heard from God." If the Lord has not spoken to you after you have prayed about a situation, you can still make a decision with your head! God's grace abounds! He will help you overcome.

God's Timing
Notice in our text the phrase "by faith, Moses, when he was come to years." In this day and age and in the environment in which we live, one of the greatest hindrances to quality decisions is a spirit of haste.

One of the most important things to learn about making a quality decision is to not get in a hurry. Any time you get that old hurry-up feeling, look out! You are about to get in trouble. The devil is trying to force the issue, trying to get you to act before you have gone through all of the essential steps to make the right decision.

This phrase come to years means that the proper time had come for Moses to take action—the timing was right. If God has told you He has a certain thing for you to do, that does not necessarily mean that you should jump up and begin doing it that very moment.

Often there is a time of preparation, a necessary time to prepare our hearts as well as our minds and bodies. If we are not careful about the timing, we might not be able to accomplish what God wants us to do.

Patience And Sensitivity
A number of years ago during one of Kenneth Hagin's crusades, I was caught up into the spiritual realm. God began to speak to me about certain things that were going to happen in my life and ministry.

It took more than 10 years for those things even to begin to come into being. Yet I have seen certain people mess up their lives and their ministries by failing to be sensitive to the timing of the Lord.

Their minds are like cement, thoroughly mixed and well set! Some miss God by failing to lay a solid foundation. Others get out ahead of God and discover that the people they are to minister to are not yet ready to receive.

When the Lord speaks to you about things that He desires for you to do, do not let your enthusiasm and zeal cause you to run off unprepared. Do not get in high gear and take off at the wrong time or you will miss what God has for you to do.

Remember, God is a God of order and timing.

Moses Missed God's Timing
Moses certainly was not always in God's timing. As a young man he became real "antsy" and "quick on the trigger."

He saw an Egyptian beating on of the Hebrew slaves, and without hardly thinking he killed the Egyptian and hid the body (Ex. 2:11-12). There was no question in his mind that he was God's man, that he was called to deliver God's people. But his timing was off by...oh, about 40 years.

He jumped up and acted before the Spirit of God told him to and made a mess of things.

As the deliverer of the children of Israel, Moses was a type and shadow of Jesus Christ, our Deliverer. But Jesus never missed God's timing.

Notice that Jesus waited until He was 30 years old, when he had come to years, before he even began His ministry. The devil will use any tool available to him—your age, your race, your background, your pride—to try to get you to hurry up and mess up.

Certainly I do not mean that you should procrastinate and put off doing what you know God has called you to do. Sometimes things will happen much more quickly than you ever thought possible. But do not be discouraged if matters in your life seem to be taking longer than you would like.

In the past I have gotten in a big hurry and made a mess of things. I have since learned not to get in a rush. You do not have to beat your brains out or get involved in a big promotional program so that you can be on God's timetable.

When you learn to wait on the Lord and on His timing before making important decisions, your life will never be the same!

Source: Seven Steps to a Quality Decision by Buddy Harrison
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers

Author Biography

Buddy Harrison
Web site: Pat Harrison Ministries
 
Buddy Harrison and his wife, Pat, were co-founders of Faith Christian Fellowship International Church. He served as president of the organization from 1978 until he went home to be with the Lord on November 28, 1998.
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