Discerning God’s Will | 1 Samuel 6:7-12

Are you trying to discern what God wants you to do?

Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller.

This week, we are reading 1 Samuel 6. I've titled this chapter "From Confusion to Clarity."

In chapter 6, the Philistines have had enough of the Ark of God. Since capturing the Ark seven months ago, they have been tortured with the Black Plague and severe hemorrhoids. Some pagan priests devised a plan to rid themselves of the Ark, and they decided to try this unusual experiment with a couple of cows. Here is how this plays out in verses 7-12:

Now then, take and prepare a new cart and two milk cows on which there has never come a yoke, and yoke the cows to the cart, but take their calves home, away from them. And take the ark of the Lord and place it on the cart and put in a box at its side the figures of gold, which you are returning to him as a guilt offering. Then send it off and let it go its way and watch. If it goes up on the way to its own land, to Beth-shemesh, then it is he who has done us this great harm, but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us; it happened to us by coincidence.” The men did so, and took two milk cows and yoked them to the cart and shut up their calves at home. And they put the ark of the Lord on the cart and the box with the golden mice and the images of their tumors. And the cows went straight in the direction of Beth-shemesh along one highway, lowing as they went. They turned neither to the right nor to the left, and the lords of the Philistines went after them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh. — 1 Samuel 6:7-12

Test It

For some reason, after seven months of torture, the Philistines are still unsure if God was behind the disease and pestilence that had struck their land. It had poisoned people, weakened wealth, and created conflict among their people. Yet still, the five kings of Philistine wonder if this is just a coincidence or if it is the God of the Ark. So they devise a plan to deploy a cart that will carry the ark, pulled by milk cows, to test and see if the God of the Ark takes it home.

Milk It

The pagan priests decided to use milk cows, not draft animals. Typical draft animals in their day were castrated oxen mainly because they were strong, steady, and orderly. Milk cows would not be the choice, mostly because they were tribal and protective mothers who primarily produced milk. Strapping them to a cart, freshly separated from their young, was a remedy for disaster. But we see they respond unexpectedly. They head directly for the closest Israel territory, lowing as if they were being called and guided to their home. This was highly unusual given all the factors that could have gone awry.

Discern It

God, by nature of his supreme authority, is always "leading the cart" of his creation. Yet there are times in our lives when his leading is more difficult to discern. When it is difficult, we will often look for his leading in and through the circumstances of this life. We look for his move so we can determine our move. We are trying to discern his general revelation, or how he reveals himself to us through the natural world and human experience.

General revelation has a whole lot to say about God. The apostle Paul clarifies this in Romans 1:19-20:

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. — Romans 1:19-20

Thus, through general revelation, we, like the Philistines, are without excuse. God demonstrates through creation that he exists. But we don't just have a general revelation. We have more specific revelations. God gave us Jesus, Scripture, and the Spirit. He also gave us a means to talk with him in prayer and a means to hear of him through the wisdom of other believers. When it comes to discerning God's leading, we have all kinds of resources at our disposal daily and all the time.

Seek It

So, if you need direction today, you could look merely to general revelation. Or, if you don't want to wait through seven months of torment and track down a couple of milk cows, you could turn to the resources and tools God has already given you. But I will leave it up to you.

#DiscerningGodsWill, #SeekingClarity, #DivineGuidance

Ask This:

1. How can you distinguish between God's leading and mere coincidence in your own life circumstances? 
2. What specific steps can you take today to deepen your reliance on God's guidance through prayer, Scripture, and wise counsel from fellow believers?

Do This:

Seek general and specific revelation.

Pray This:

Father, help me discern Your will clearly amidst life's uncertainties, relying on Your guidance through Scripture, prayer, and the wisdom of others. Strengthen my faith to trust in Your leading with confidence and obedience. Amen.

Play This:

Lead Me On.