An unscriptural aimlessness pervades the Gospel preaching and teaching of today. The Word of Christ is being preached as though it were a means of benefiting people. "Bring Christ with you wherever you go," we hear.

There is little Lordship of Christ in our day. There is a lack of the sense of God's Divine and eternal purpose. Man is in the driver's seat. The believers are the lord and Christ is the servant.

It is not true that we are to march toward whatever land appears to please us. We are to press forward to the specific land God has given to the Church as a whole and to each conqueror as an individual.

We currently are preoccupied with spiritual formulas for achieving happiness and success. We have little or no idea where we are heading, what we are supposed to be doing. Every believer does what is right in his eyes.

It is time for the Lord to "speak to Joshua".

Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. (Joshua 1:3)

First we determine where God wants us to go. We discover this by waiting on the Lord, from the Scriptures, from special revelation to us, from experience, and by all the other means the Lord uses to guide the saint.

Then we move forward prayerfully.

One error made by the inexperienced believer is to run ahead of the Lord, mistaking enthusiasm or personal ambition or apparent human needs for the voice of the Spirit. A great deal of practice is required before we become skillful in recognizing the leading of the Lord. Even then we can be deceived if we do not continue to watch in prayer.

Another error made by the inexperienced believer is to not press forward, because of his mistaken idea that God will come upon him and force him to perform God's will.

God seldom thrusts aside our normal course of living and reveals His will in a blaze of glory. Such Divine intervention does occur, as in the case of Saul on the way to Damascus. But it rarely happens.

The desirable manner of cooperation between God and man takes place when the Christian learns what his responsibility is and then prayerfully, diligently, and faithfully works at his own task in the Body of Christ.

We have to keep on stirring up the gifts that are in us. It is easy to settle back or to become so involved in the things of the world that there is little time left to spend waiting on God.

The secret of the victorious Christian life is the vigorous daily pursuit of the Lord. Part of this pursuit is the faithful performance, as the Lord leads, of the tasks that have been set before us. We learn to lean on the Lord's strength and wisdom as we do God's will.

To be continued.