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SERMON
Guidance - direction - we've all needed it at one time or another, and we have all benefited from it. Guidance given by others and given by God - that is the focus of our lesson from Genesis today. Picture in your mind an old man, Abraham's chief servant, being sent on a long journey by his aged master, looking for what must have seemed like a needle in a haystack - sent to find just the right sort of wife for Isaac from his master's clan in a land that he hadn't visited for decades.
So off he went, ten camels in tow, laden with all sorts of gifts from his master, ready for use as bargaining power in securing a suitable bride. I'm sure the old man was wondering how on earth it would all work out. But it's clear he was confident of one thing. He knew that whatever happened, it would turn out well because he wasn't traveling alone. He knew that God was traveling with him and guiding him.
But reading about the marvelous guidance that God has given to others doesn't hold a candle to experiencing God's leading in our own lives right now. And that's what I want to talk about today. What does the Bible teach us about God's guidance, not just for some old servant four thousand years ago, but for us? How can we be helped in our daily decisions by this story today?
Now, it may surprise you, but the Bible has relatively little to say about seeking God's guidance. That is, it really doesn't lay out a clear, step-by-step program by which we're supposed to be able to discern the will of God in any given situation. On the other hand, the Bible has volumes to say about the relationship between God and his people. Why? Because it is in that relationship that the guidance is given. And as far as I can tell, the key aspect of that relationship is intimacy. That is, God loves us so much that he wants us to consider him in every decision we make, even though he doesn't promise to tell us how to make those decisions. It's like the husband or wife who wants to be an intimate part of the life and thought and decision-making of their spouse.
And that's the kind of unpretentious intimacy with God that we see here in this story. I don't know about you, but my heart is captured by the simple, down-to-earth faith of Abraham's old servant. That old man was able to see the hand of God at work, moving people around and arranging circumstances to bring about the desired outcome for his friend, Abraham.
He saw God at work in what I suspect most skeptical people would chalk up to coincidence or pure chance. To those who would say, "It just happened!" Abraham's servant was the sort of person who would say, "No, it didn't 'just happen.' When God is present in your life, things don't 'just happen.' God either lets them happen or he makes them happen. And he always knows that they happen. But things don't 'just happen.'" As I read it, that is the attitude with which Abraham's servant went about his work and sought God's guidance.
How about you? Have you given much thought to your attitude when it comes to seeking guidance? In an article written some time ago for Christianity Today magazine, Philip Yancey identified three distinct attitudes that people bring to the process of seeking guidance. There are doubtless more, but these are three of the most prevalent.
The first attitude is assumed by those of us who have already made up our minds. Our plans are already set. We have our future already figured out. So, when we talk about guidance, what we're really looking for is someone in a position of authority to give us a nod of agreement.
The second attitude, somewhere near the other end of the spectrum, belongs to those of us who seek the advice or guidance of someone who will offer to make up our minds for us. We want someone who will tell us exactly what to do, step-by-step, detail-by-detail.
The third attitude in seeking someone's guidance belongs to those of us who are honestly uncertain about which way to go or to act. So we seek the advice of others. We may want to bounce around a few ideas. We want to have a thoughtful discussion with those persons and get their input. Then, on the basis of all the insights we've gathered, we make a decision to act one way or another.
Now, consider that first attitude - the one that belongs to those who have already made up their minds. When it comes to seeking God's guidance or God's will in some matter, all we really want (and expect) is for God to rubber-stamp our decisions. And let's be honest, folks. That attitude is more prevalent in the church than we may care to admit. But despite its popularity, when it comes to true humility and a desire to act with a servant heart, it ranks rather low, doesn't it?
The second attitude - waiting to be told what to do - appears more pious, at least on the surface, because it seems so unpretentious. And, of course, there are times when a task seems so daunting or a decision so difficult that we honestly don't know how to respond, or we at least need a push from someone to tell us what to do. So some people approach God with the proposition, "Just tell me what to do, Lord, and I'll do it." But I can't help but wonder if such people really are ready and willing to do whatever God might tell them to do.
Then there's that third attitude about seeking guidance - the one that wants to bounce around ideas with another and get the best possible input before acting. It's the kind of "two heads are better than one" attitude that works especially well when that second head belongs to one who is much wiser and more experienced in the business of life. It seems to me that, of those three attitudes, this is the one most likely to make us what to pray: "God, I want to live my life well and responsibly. I don't want to go it alone. And I don't expect you to make all the decisions for me. But I need your guidance, Lord. So please, help me along in the journey of my life."
Of all people, we Christians ought to be those who realize that God has given us the ability to think and reason and choose. But when it comes to making decisions, we need to remember that, almost without exception, "two heads are better than one" - especially since that other head belongs to the One who is far wiser and far more experienced in the business of life, because he created life! Frankly, it just makes good sense.
Now consider the old servant's attitude in action. When he arrived at the town of Nahor, the first thing he did was to find the community well. Then he had a little conversation with God. And it's clear from his words that he was looking for God's help and was open to God's direction. But at the same time he was considering all the options and planning a strategy. In effect, he was saying to God, "Lord, here's what I'm thinking of doing. Please guide that process according to your will. I'm not asking you to move in my way, but move in the right way." To him, God was a constant companion who was willing to influence the way things played out. So that attitude shaped the way he laid his plans.
The servant asked God for some clear direction. But he didn't ask God for a vision or a bolt of lightning kind of sign. In fact, the means he proposed was a very practical one. In that culture, women did the water duty. So if someone were to sit at the community well towards evening, in the cool of the day, he could check out all the eligible women of the village as they came to draw water for their families.
As he waited, the servant talked to God. "May it be that when I say to a girl, 'please let down your jar that I may have a drink,' and she says, 'drink, and I'll water your camels too' - let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac." Of course, ten camels coming off a wilderness trek would guzzle jar after jar of water. Any woman who would volunteer to assist an old man with that daunting task would obviously have to be an open, energetic, thoughtful sort of person. It's clear from his proposal that the servant already had a good idea of the sort of woman he was looking for as a suitable bride for his master. He was saying to God, "I've already done a pre-selection process, Lord. I know the sort of girl I'm looking for. So what I'd respectfully request is that you would guide things according to your perfect will."
You should probably understand that what he asked for would not have been an uncommon act of kindness. Courtesy to a stranger would be the norm. A young woman of the village would probably not look at the old servant and be thinking, "I'll give the old man a drink, but I'm not about to help him water his smelly old camels. I just did my nails!" Oriental hospitality almost assured that at least one of those girls would offer the old servant a hand with his chores. But which one?
The storyteller writes: "Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder." We're also apprised of the fact that she was the granddaughter of Abraham's brother. God doesn't miss a thing - and he doesn't waste any time, either. But neither does the old servant. He immediately went up to her and asked for a little water from her jar. "Drink, my lord," she said. And then, prompted by something we can only guess at, she added, "I'll draw water for your camels too, until they have finished drinking."
Despite what would have been, for me, an almost irrepressible urge to jump up and down and grin and say, "You're the one!" - you'll notice the old servant maintained his composure. In fact, as Rebekah watered the camels it says: "Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful." And then, after showing his gratitude with a few small gifts, he politely asked about her family and if there might be room at her house for him to spend the night.
Again, that wasn't an unusual request. In those days there were no hotels, complete with camel care. The locals routinely took in travelers at nighttime - a sort of informal B&B program. But when Rebekah identified herself as a relative of Abraham and welcomed him to spend the night with her family, everything fell into place. You'll notice that only then did the old man bow down and say, "Praise the Lord! He has led me on this journey to the house of my master's relatives." That is to say, "I couldn't have done this on my own, Lord. Thank you for guiding me."
Now, think about the process. Consider the servant - accepting the assignment, planning, looking; with God in the background - setting the stage, preparing the circumstances, arranging the road for this obedient believer who trudged along it in faith. And that's how God works with us - giving guidance and direction, in one way or another, for one reason or another, according to his wisdom. Meanwhile, with an attitude of openness, we gradually begin to see him working out his extraordinary will through very ordinary means.
As I see it, that's really the primary lesson from today's text. What matters first and foremost is the attitude with which we seek God's guidance. But there's more. We can also learn something valuable about how we are to act as we wait on God's guidance. For one thing, as we seek God's guidance in some matter, we would be wise to not get overly anxious about what may happen way down the road; but simply concentrate on being obedient today.
It's rather like learning to read. Give a young child a page filled with small print and it will be overwhelming. So we'll start with a page that may have two or three words in large print, and then on to a page with a few more words. And if there are too many lines, we'll cover all but the top one, read it, and then move to the next one. Obedience is a one-line-at-a-time process. When you do the tasks that are immediately at hand, those distant responsibilities will gradually grow clearer.
The old servant took an oath to find a proper wife for his master's son. He didn't hold out much hope at the beginning. But he tackled that daunting task one step at a time. He began by preparing. He set out for the land. Arriving, he found the place where young women congregate. He made a plan for limiting the variables. Finally he made a selection and discussed the matter with the family, and with the young woman. And in the end - success. Like the old hymn, "Trust and Obey" - a right attitude involves both trust and obedience. Trust and obey, trust and obey, trust and obey - step by step by step. That is the monumentally simple secret to the life of one who wants to live under God's guidance.
How will God guide you? I suspect the possibilities are as many and varied as the personalities he has given to all of us here today. It has been my experience that God often works in subtle ways: feeding us ideas - sometimes through other people; or speaking through a nagging sense of dissatisfaction; or inspiring us to make better choices than we otherwise would have made; or giving us discernment of hidden dangers in various temptations; and sometimes, as in our lesson today, arranging circumstances to fall into place - those so-called "strange coincidences" of life.
There are times, less frequent I suspect, when God guides in more overt ways. I believe God still speaks prophetically, in which he uses a person or perhaps a group to say, "This is what God is saying today…" And sometimes, though rarely (at least in my experience) God will give us a vision or such unavoidably clear thought about the direction of our lives that we know beyond any doubt that this is what must be done. And always, God stands to guide us by his perfect Word, made flesh in Jesus, faithfully expressed in Scripture, and unerringly interpreted by his Holy Spirit. And I believe that's what he's doing right now.
But keep this in mind. The way God may choose to guide us is of secondary importance. The primary issue for us is to keep open minds and teachable hearts to accept his guidance when it comes. God is ready to take care of the rest. The question is: are you ready?
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