Learning how to make difficult decisions is one of life’s great challenges.

Decisions involving jobs, marriage, school, where to live, personal crises etc. surely require definite direction from God. There is much vagueness as to how that leading is obtained.

“God led me to do this; He spoke to me,” some are heard saying. What many others want to know is how does He do this? How does God get His will in a situation across to us?

Some simply moan, “What’s going to be will be; I can’t change that no matter what I decide to do.”

Most men, however, know God expects them to be active in making right choices. It is a vital part of our Christian life.

Furthermore, if I am to put my very life on the line in a certain decision, I want that to be the will of God for me. How may I know?

Let us examine an incident in Scripture where Peter had to make a decision and follow God’s leading in a crucial situation. Now, we may not be led as dramatically, nonetheless the essential steps in
discovering God’s leading will be the same.

Peter had broken all precedent and preached the Gospel to non-Jews. The Roman soldier Cornelius, his family and friends had believed in Christ! Thus, an important corner had been turned and Christianity was beginning its reach toward us Gentiles.

Peter was directly called on the carpet for this decision. “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.” (Acts 11:3). Peter’s answer reveals all the steps in making a solid, dependable decision that will honor God. These very steps have long been held by mature  Christians to be a safe and sane way of decision-making.

F.B. Meyer’s classic illustration of employing these three steps is helpful. He told of asking a ship’s captain how he knew he was steering down the harbor channel. The night was pitch dark, rocks threatened on each side, and there was no radar in those days. Pointing to three lights lined up dead ahead, the captain explained, “As long as those three lights appear in a line ahead, we are  on course.” A move to the left or right would show the lights out of line.

Mr. Meyer says the three lights could represent prayer, the Bible’s teaching and circumstances. Each of these should seem to point us in the same direction in making a decision. If one of these sources shines its light out of line, we had better take care how we move. Let us now make this clearer from our text in Acts 11.

I. PRAYER

Peter’s first step in making the difficult decision to preach to despised Gentiles was prayer. As he prayed, the vision came which urged him to do exactly what he did not wish to do. We may not
have a vision, but there ought to be an inner, subjective leading from God’s Spirit — through prayer.

As you pray, make certain you are definite in confessing sin and clearing accounts with God. Admit your own desires and biases in the matter at hand. Next, ask for the insight and guidance needed.
Then, be still enough for God to give you a sense of His direction. Do not be passive mentally; make certain that your ear is at the Lord Jesus Christ’s gatepost. Otherwise, you might be misled by a wrong spirit.

II. REFLECTION ON CIRCUMSTANCES

Now, this inner sense of God’s leading is NOT enough. We are too easily mistaken when it comes to inward feelings. Notice that “While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision,”
(Acts 10:17).

However, the light of circumstances began to line up with this inner light. At that very moment, Cornelius’ men arrived at the gate and inquired for the Apostle. They explained that their leader
had also been dealt with by God and directed to request that Peter come and preach to them. Everything fitted together.

The remarkable clicking of circumstances is not in itself enough, however. In Psalm 32:9 God warns us, “Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.” Even the penned animal will use the open or closed door method of making decisions. He will not go through the closed gate and will go through the open gate. That is the way many Christians wish to make their major decisions. They move if the  door opens and things work out. Or, like the horse, they wish to be directed by the yank and pull of God’s providential bridle.

These folks will be heard to say, “I didn’t force a thing, it just worked out that way, so it must be God’s will.” Now, where is the understanding in that?

Read God’s promise in the preceding verse, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” God prefers to lead us by enlightening our understanding. Let us now see how this is fully accomplished.

III. READING THE WORD

The next step is to search Scripture. This will be the third source of light. Never make a major decision without going to God’s Word.

In our text, Peter points out that his leading through prayer and the development of circumstances was soundly in agreement with Scripture brought to him. “Then I remembered what the Lord had said.” (11:16) His defense of his decision was that it was in complete agreement with our Lord’s teaching.

Right here and now let me urge you all to avoid the “pop-verse” method of handling Scripture. That is, do not get carried away by some verse or phrase that mysteriously presents itself to your eye. Keep reading. Read continuously through a section – just as it was written to be read. The Bible is not some “magic book.” It is much more than that! Use it in an honorable manner:

1) Let it search your heart and clear your mind of sin so you can see better, Psalm 139:23,24. Then,

2) Seek for general help: To know God Himself better and to understand His ways. Finally,

3) Look for specific teachings bearing on the matter of your decision.

CONCLUSION

Back in Jerusalem the apostles saw clearly that it was not simply Peter’s will, but it was the very plan of God that had been enacted, 11:18.

Indeed, this move began the very outreach that ultimately swept over Europe – and reached even us with the Good News of Christ Jesus! See it developing in verses 19 – 26 and following chapters of Acts.

Friends, each of us can KNOW what God’s will is for us. Never forget He wants you to do what is right in each case, therefore He does not hide His will. He desires to show us, John 15:15.

Only make very certain that you carefully observe each step. If all three lights have been looked at and all seem to point you in the same direction, then it is safe to move on the basis of that decision. Otherwise, you have not yet made as certain as you ought to be.