QT 12 Nov 13, Balance between God's sovereignty and free will (and human effort)

1 Sam 23:8-14 (ESV) And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. 9 David knew that Saul was plotting harm against him. And he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod here." 10 Then said David, "O Lord, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account. 11 Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O Lord, the God of Israel, please tell your servant." And the Lord said, "He will come down." 12 Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?" And the Lord said, "They will surrender you." 13 Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the expedition. 14 And David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.

NOTE: God does not make it easy on David. Of course, a discussion naturally arises concerning God's sovereignty (control) and man's free will. God does not stop the men of Keilah from surrendering David. God does not stop Saul from coming. God does not even protect David's men from either. But, it says that God does not give David and his men into the hand of Saul as they wander in the wilderness. Sometimes it gets very close, but God never fails David. But David has to move; David has to hide; David has to use his wits. This is an interesting mixture of man's responsibilities and God's responsibilities. Do David's wits and skill save him? No, it says that God did not give David into Saul's hand. Does David do nothing, resting on God's protection? No, David left Keilah and hid in the wilderness. It is one of the paradoxes of the Christian life. We believe in God's sovereignty, but we act as if it depended upon us, and we pray knowing that without God, all our efforts would be fruitless. Our efforts are good, when they are done in the will of God. In this situation, God did not give his Will to David. He did not tell him where he could go, he only told him where he could not stay, Keilah. So sometimes, our knowledge of God's will is limited only to what we know we can't do. Beyond that, we can act in our own wisdom, depending upon God for the results.

In my job searching, what is it that God does not want me to do? Don't be obsessed. Don't be immoral. Wait, don't try to force things. And I think also, don't be sneaky about it, don't try to end run the process. Beyond that, I'm free to work toward the end I desire. But of course, if God closes the door -- all the doors -- then I need to be willing to accept his result.