I Samuel 6:12
“And the cows took the straight way in the direction of Beth-shemesh; they went along the highway, lowing as they went, and did not turn aside to the right or to the left. And the lords of the Philistines followed them to the border of Beth-shemesh.”
This is an interesting story. The Philistines are attempting to return the Ark of the Covenant that was taken after a battle victory. The reason for the return was due to illness. The whole Philistine nation was getting sick. Their plan was to let the cows return it on a cart. If the cows brought it to Beth-shemesh, then God was guiding it back and all of the plagues were a punishment from God. However, if the cart went to random places, then all that happened was coincidence. As this passage describes, the cart made it to Beth-shemesh. Thus God was guiding the cows and was prompting the Philistines to return the Ark by through negative circumstances.
The Lord will accomplish His will. He wanted the Ark returned. He made it happen. He will also alter circumstances throughout our days. Does this mean we have to comply? No, the Philistines could have resisted, to their own hurt.
Does God always impose Himself on circumstances? No. There are mega circumstances that He will accomplish. Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes.” The country’s leader is really influenced by God. He will do this with us as well. However, the bible doesn’t say that every micro issue is directed by God.
How do we know when God is guiding us? We don’t. We live our day independently. However, nudges or thoughts caution us. We should pray about those.
God does want us to live by the bible. That is a way to get His will into our lives. As His Word gets in us, He begins to speak to us.
Does this mean the Lord forces us to follow Him? No. He will draw us with love and kindness, and sometimes negative circumstances. He does give us free will. He does respect our choices. However, He won’t stop influencing us.
How does God send us His blessings? Through creation. We live in a magnificent world. It’s beauty is a constant source of pleasure. The food we eat is so satisfying. The friends we have encourage and lift our spirits. Our nature is such that we set goals, get motivation and will work hard to achieve them. He provides a teammate to make life’s journey more enjoyable. He provides us with children. All of these are part of creation. They fill our days with good things. God is at work maintaining this all for the purpose of blessing us. All the things that bring us pleasure or growth demonstrates God’s love.
If we yield our lives to Him, then He is much more involved. We begin to walk according to His ways. Our hearts and lives are filled with joy.
Lord, thank You for Your intervention in our lives. Help us to be open to You. Thank You for Your blessings.