"Let your 'yes' be 'yes' and your 'no' be 'no'"

God gave that instruction in Matt 5:33-37. Think about it: God gave the instruction to us and He desires for us to be like Him, so isn’t every command or instruction actually insight into the very nature of God? Go through every command in the Bible, or alternatively, every time you come across a command, search out its true meaning and rationale and see if it doesn’t point you toward being like God. Even in submission, we are loving God and recognizing righteousness as inferior beings…the supreme recognizer of righteousness and love is God, so we can be like Him even in submission. Other examples are easier to see, such as letting your 'yes' be 'yes' and your 'no' be 'no.' Jesus is speaking here about oaths and commitments, and it has also struck me that we can apply this principle every day. Don’t we try to sensationalize our affirmative or dissenting replies? There is something to be said about emphasis, but as we get into the habit of emphasizing everything, then there is really no emphasis at all and people stop taking us seriously or even believing us. A friend of mine mentioned that if you say “yes…I promise,” doesn’t that imply that if you only said “yes” that you weren’t promising? That your 'yes' doesn’t always mean 'yes?'

But enough about us. Let’s think about God. Perhaps when He speaks and makes a commitment or tells us “no,” He lets His 'yes' be 'yes' and His 'no' be 'no.' Perhaps there is no miscommunication or confusion, but instead an emphatic reply that is unmistakable, direct, and perfect. Think about this: have you ever asked God for or about something as a series of events with a conclusion that you desired? Perhaps in that moment, His answer would simply be “no.” For instance, you may have prayed that you could go to college, so you could get your degree, so you could get the job you wanted, so you could have the life you’ve dreamed of and provide for others, and ultimately give glory to God. Sounds like a great vision! But what if God said “no.” Would you be heartbroken and call off college altogether? Perhaps God would say “no” to that, as well. Perhaps God wanted you to go to college, get your degree, get the job you wanted, but NOT live the life you’re dreaming of right now…but that you might do something different that would glorify Him more and lead you into a closer loving relationship with Him. If you prayed instead, “Lord, do you want me to go to this college,” you may receive the simple direction that you needed. Upon graduating, if you prayed, “Lord, do you want me to get this job?” Or this job, or this job. Perhaps you would receive the simple direction that you needed. Then when you prayed, “Lord, do you want me to have this life and go this way?” (the life “you’ve always wanted”), perhaps His answer would be “no.” Then you would have followed His perfect path the whole way, receiving every blessing, forsaking none, and now moving onto your perfect purpose. And perhaps His answer would be “yes,” as you were given that foresight and you dreamed of the life He dreamed of…or alternatively, perhaps He actually didn’t want you to go to college right then, but had an even more brilliant plan. The point is that we get so ahead of ourselves. Instead of asking God for the very next thing He wants us to do—today!—we start planning for 5, 10, 50 years down the road. If you want to start hearing God’s simple, certain commitment to be with you and to go where you need to go, be where you need to be, in 50 years…the only way is to go where you need to go, be where you need to be, today. A life of faith never requires any more than the next immediate direction. What does it matter what you will do 2 decisions from now? God is with you then as He is with you now. Do you need the entire roadmap now? To what end? Have you ever enjoyed someone’s trust in you? Or conversely, been frustrated with a lack of trust when you were truly doing what was best for them and knew exactly what you were doing? Think of the joy shared between God and ourselves when we trust Him like that. When we seek only to be used by Him today and to follow wherever He leads, one “yes” and one “no” at a time.

Furthermore, consider this perspective from Oswald Chambers (“My Utmost” July 11): “ A spiritually vigorous saint..sees every situation in which he finds himself as the means of obtaining a greater knowledge of Jesus…. In Christian work our initiative and motivation are too often simply the result of realizing that there is work to be done and that we must do it. Yet that is never the attitude of a spiritually vigorous saint. His aim is to achieve the realization of Jesus Christ in every set of circumstances.”

Jesus is all around you today, even as you read this. Do you see Him? Whatever you do next, pray that your eyes might be opened to see Jesus in it…ask Him for that…I know His answer will be simply “yes.”