Decisions, Decision - When God is Silent

Two years ago, I quit my job and took what I thought was a better paying job somewhere else. I had prayed about the issue (probs not enough), and I hadn't heard the audible voice of God: "Ye shall quit that post and find ye another at XYZ Corp. Go! Tender thine resignation!" Since that didn't happen, I starting being logical about it:

1. I'd been in my position for a while, and I didn't see any job growth. Wisdom said: leave. 
2. I was really bored and not feeling as challenged as I wanted to be. Wisdom said: leave. 
3. I wanted a career path to management, and didn't seem to be there. Again Wisdom said: leave.

I recently heard a sermon that took me back to those days. A sermon about how to make decisions when God is silent. The speaker took a non-biblical approach to this, because in the absence of clarity from On High, you have to do the best you can. And I agree with that. The speaker kept saying: "How do you make the wise decision?"

I just thought this was cute. Tee hee.

There were three practical ways (the 3-step) to make the "wise" decision per the sermon:

1. Based on your historical experience what is the wise thing to do?
2. Based on your present circumstances, what is the wise thing to do?
3. Based on your future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing to do?

Having not heard the sermon...I'd done this! But, sadly, it was a mistake. By the grace of God, it was one that He fixed for me, but that's beside the point.  It was a mistake borne out of practical Wisdom. But wait! I have to be honest: there was something wrong with my Wisdom. Everyone around me, at the time, was living a seemingly dynamic life. Checkers was getting her MBA, my roommate was moving to Philly, and I started to feel stuck. I wanted a dynamic life too! I prayed, but my stuck feelings didn't abate. So I had to do something. As such, my 3-step was not Wisdom. It was human logic + justifications dressed up as Wisdom.

Why is Wisdom capitalized?! Was that getting on your nerves? Well, in Proverbs 8 Wisdom is personified and later in 1 Corinthians 1:24 we see Jesus referred to as "the wisdom of God." So true Wisdom is divine. And it's difficult to get divine wisdom based on the 3-step because of this:

But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.  For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. - James 3:14-17

In short: There is a wisdom that comes from above. It is pure. There is a wisdom that comes from below. It is tainted. 

Source of wisdom really matters. So the 3-step program, by itself, has some kinks. What if the patriarchs/matriarchs of the Bible used 3-step? What if Esther used 3-step?

Background: Esther is the new queen of a kingdom stretching from India to Ethiopia (127 Provinces). She's the new queen, because the old queen refused to comply with an order of the king. One of the king's princes, who the people have been ordered (by the king) to bow down and pay homage to has taken issue with Jews. His beef is that Jews won't bow down or pay homage to him, due to religious reasons. Since Jews are not a "protected" group but this prince is, this discrimination is not OK. So the prince asks the king to make a decree that all Jews are destroyed. No one knows Esther is Jewish. Her uncle, Mordecai, tells her she has to go to the king and get this straightened out.

Based on 3-step:

1. Historical experience - Queens are not forever. That last queen (Vashti) was ousted, why not Esther? Also, it is known that anyone who comes to the king's court without being summoned is killed unless the king holds out his scepter. (Esther 4:11)
2. Present circumstances - Esther is queen, the king loves her a lot (Esther 2:17), no one knows she's Jewish...she's got it made!
3. Future hopes and dreams - Umm...To be alive?! But, for real, she has one other over-arching hope and dream - that the people of God not be destroyed. 

Based on 3-step, she'd be pretty confused. This is leaning a lot towards do nothing. This is the point at which she NEEDS the clarity. This is life or death. But Esther isn't working off of 3-step. Esther decides to step out on faith:

Walked in like a Boss!

“Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.” Esther 4:16

This is probably the coolest quote in the Old Testament. I can't say it's the coolest quote in the whole Bible, because Jesus has some zingers. But the Old Testament "OG" award goes to: Esther

This is a different sort of faith. This is a faith that has, as its basis, a belief in God's sovereignty, His provision, and His ability to make all things work to the good. This is in stark contrast to being told something explicitly. It's easier to say we believe God when things are clear. It's harder to believe God when it's murky. I feel like murky shouldn't be an automatic default to "self." It should, rather, be an automatic default to faith in the character and nature of God (and not just in His voice). It's super different. Esther is making a move, and not caring about the consequences, because she dropped them in God's hands.

I believe that sometimes you have to step out on faith, believing God will honor the step. Believing that God really will and can work all things (every decision you make) for good (Romans 8:28). Part of our spiritual maturity is stepping out into the unknown having known only one thing: God is with me.

Like the scripture says in Romans 1:17:

For in it [the gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."

It's important to note it's not from faith to figured-it-all-out, or from faith to-logic. It's from faith to faith. It's about spiritual growth.

I'm not trying to be contrary, I'm just saying add faith to your 3-step. Don't depend on your 3-step by itself. Why? It will surely get you to an answer, but who is to say that the resulting answer is "wise"?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. - Proverbs 3:5

When might one be tempted to lean on their own understanding? When God's clear, definite answer is unavailable! This is when all your heart has to be in trust mode.

It seems to me that the times of silence are an opportunity for more faith. 

Food for thought.