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Along the path of life Linda and I have sensed God's guiding hand. God has led us to people, places, and experiences we never would have dreamed of.
We have said "Yes" to many invitations. And, we have said "No" to many invitations. We've said "No" to teaching invitations, speaking invitations, ministry invitations, and music invitations.
For example, it was clear to Linda and me, in the early seventies, that God called me to get a seminary degree. I enrolled in Northern Baptist Theological Seminary. We were preparing to move to the seminary when Linda received a phone call. It was the leader of a well-known Christian band. He said, "I want John to be our guitarist." When Linda shared this with me I asked, "What did you tell him?" She said, "I told him you don't want it."
Correct. God was calling us elsewhere. Just because a door opens it does not necessarily mean we are to step in. (A month after I was invited to join the band we turned on the TV and there was the band, playing in a stadium before tens of thousands of people, at a Billy Graham crusade!)
This is all a matter of discernment. When it comes to a major decision like that, what's needed is corporate discernment; viz., Linda and I, in full agreement, that this is what God wants.
Every open door is not from God.
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You can read about discerning the voice of God in my book Praying: Reflections on 40 Years of Solitary Conversations with God.
