When you have a major shift in life, or a problem, do you “inquire of the LORD”?  Not just inquire but expect answers?  One thing reading through the Scriptures is that oftentimes the blessing or the problems came from whether or not they inquired of the Lord.

“After the death of Joshua, the Israelites inquired of the LORD” (Judges 1:1).

They were asking the Lord about going into battle and the details of what tribe was to lead them in battle.  It was a seeking the Lord in detail.  And because of their seeking the Lord, they had great victory.

The problem was that we read where the Lord had spoken to drive out the peoples of the land, but many of the tribes did not persevere in that endeavor.  They grew weary, they gave up, they compromised and they quit.

When the Lord speaks to us, whether it’s a command he has given or an answer to a question we have asked, it’s important to obey and to persevere in that obedience to that blessing.  It’s because God wants to bless us but we must persevere whether that answer comes quickly or whether it comes slowly over years.

I can relate in a small way in this present time.  I feel like we are in a national crisis and the time for prayer is now.  But it seems like evil is winning even among God’s people.  It’s been discouraging and the more I listen and hear things going on, my commitment to pray for these issues has been waning.  Sadly.

When we get discouraged because things aren’t looking like we want when we pray and they are taking a long time in coming, it’s easy to get discouraged.  But in reality it becomes a test of our belief in what God has said to us.  If we truly believe Him, we will persevere.  If we doubt what we heard, we will come to the place of discouragement.

What’s in our heart when God tells us something?  What’s in our mind and our thoughts when the battle is exhausting and evil seems to be winning?  What’s in our spirit when the promises of God seem slow to be fulfilled?