Given the Circustances...

I've heard 4 ways in which Christians attempt to understand the will of God.

1. The Bible
2. The Holy Spirit
3. wise council of other Christians (accountability)
4. circumstances of a situation in question.

I can see where God can and does use all of these, but i must use the latter with extreme caution. For instance, if i thought God wanted me to go to the park but then it started raining, i might could pass and say, "It must not be God's will for me to go to the park because of the circumstance." Or, Abram could have said, "I heard God say that i was going to have a baby. My wife Sarah is too old to have one. Therefore, because of the circumstance, God wants me to have a baby with her servant, Rahab." See how that works? I've heard rumors from people that maybe it's not God's will that i go to Peru. It's true, i have a torn ACL. But, i cannot allow the circumstance to trump what i know the Holy Spirit has said. I also can't allow it to put doubt on what God can do or will do, in light of what He's said.

I know God will heal me and take me to Peru and have me witness to exactly who He wants me to. I will go to the communities He wants me to, no more, no less.

Also, i've been thinking about this verse lately:

"Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

Often, when this verse is addressed among Christian circles, it's paraphrased with something that resembles, "The Bible's not saying that God will give you whatever you want. If you delight in the LORD, then you'll want what He wants and He'll give you those things." Ever heard that?

Yes, i agree that God isn't going to give me a million bucks (something i desire out of my flesh) as a reward for delighting in Him. However, He's also not going to give me the honor of leading millions to faith in Christ (something i desire out of the Spirit) for delighting in Him either. See how that works? I have a desire for thousands of Peruvians and Ecuadorians to get saved through my ministry. I've delighted myself in Him. That is a desire He's given me. Certainly, the Devil did not give me that desire. However, God has not promised to grant me the manefestation of this desire even though i delight in Him.

What the verse is saying is this: He will give me that desire, period. If i delight myself in Him, He will give my heart desires (such as souls being saved). This desire will drive me to share the Gospel with many people, but a desire doesn't have to become a reality. Whether or not that desire becomes a reality is God's business. I'll just keep delighting in Him and He'll keep giving me a heart for the unreached.