Only If God Gives

And command the people, saying, You are about to pass through the territory of your brothers the children of Esau, who dwell in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. Take careful heed to yourselves therefore; Do not engage them, for I will not give you any of their land, not even as much as a footstep; for I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession. (Deuteronomy 2:4-5, RecVer)

Then Jehovah spoke to me, saying, You are to pass through the territory of Moab, through Ar, today. And when you come near to the children of Ammon, do not harass them, nor engage them, for I will not give any of the land of the children of Ammon to you as a possession; for I have given it to the children of Lot as a possession. (Deuteronomy 2:17-19, RecVer)

These days I have been going through an inward searching and careful consideration of seeking the Lord for everything especially in the matter of shepherding the new ones. Definitely, as a serving one, I do not serve aimlessly. I have a goal in my service. If I were to invest my time and energy on anyone, I definitely would desire to see them in the church life. I do believe, if the new ones were appointed by the Lord for the practical church life, the Lord will definitely bring them in, as we cooperate with Him in laboring on them in shepherding. However, not all that I wish to take this way of the church may not necessary be of the Lord. For those, I need a clear discernment from the Lord. That's why, these days I also put a break on my enthusiasm to call these ones regularly. Not that I gave them up, but that I wait for them to realise by themselves the way they need to take as Christians. I pray for them earnestly and wait for a sign of their willingness to take this way. I cease to take the way of coercing them through my shepherding. Yes, I will carry out my responsibility but I will not overstep my function in trying to bring people into the church life. I pray and am eagerly waiting for them to exercise their free will and pay the price to take the way of life, the way of the church. So, I temporary withhold all my weekly regular calls for prayer with the new ones. Yet I Intensify praying for them in the church prayer meeting weekly and in the family prayer meeting daily. May the Lord lead them to the church life,  if His will be so. I wait for them to take the final call. I feel, I have done all that I could do. 

Today, the Lord impressed me deeply about this burden going on within me from my reading of the Scriptures. 

God specifically told the children of Israel that He would not give the land alloted for Esau and Lot. And that they should not fight with them like they did with the other heathen tribes. Certain portions were already allotted for certain people. It would be disobedience and rebellion to try to conquer these lands which the Lord alloted for others. 

I am learning this lesson now. If certain new ones are not meant for the church life, I must not have any hope on them to be in the church life. I must discern who are ordained for the what purpose. Not every Christian will take the way of the church. I must respect and discern God’s ordination.  What a lesson! I must not unnecessarily put my hope on someone who may never take the way of the church. It is best to leave them where they are. What a release to learn lesson!