For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Philippians 1:23 NKJV
Which way do we go? The decision of what is best is difficult sometimes. Do we want immediate satisfaction or long-term bountiful results? The quick results have their instant gratification. While the lasting one may take longer to achieve, the impact can endure for a long time.
The same type of decision applies in the spiritual realm. Philippians 1:23 sums up our dilemma as being, “hard-pressed between the two.” We shouldn’t flip a coin to decide whether God tells us to go left or right. Instead, the correct answer should result from methodical prayer while waiting on the Lord to open the right door. God has a way of nailing one door shut and revealing the open door. He always comes through for the seeking believer. One lesson we will learn in this, God is never late. He always comes through before it’s too late.
We’ve all experienced times when the Lord didn’t answer our prayers the way we wanted. But, if our prayer includes not my will but yours, he did answer us. And we need to accept His answer over ours. God always knows what is best. Experiencing disappointment is misunderstood on our part, sometimes. But later, we realize our Lord knew what he was doing.
When we stop and analyze our dilemma, we will conclude God knows what he’s doing. The sooner we realize and accept this fact, our outlook on life will be better, and so will our service for him.
