DIVINE GUIDANCE

I think it was the second time I went to India, I was asked to pray for all of the kids in the congregation who were preparing for their summer exams. Now in America there is no summer exam, but in most of the world kids must sit for an exam in the summer to qualify for a seat in the coming school year. No matter how well your did last year all students sit for this exam and if you did not score in the upper 15% then you would not be going to school in the coming school year. This exam was big deal to the kids in India (unlike in America where education is a given) and the kids were concerned because they knew no school meant they were off to the field to work from sun up to sun down. Well all of the kids came forward for prayer and as the kids were coming the LORD spoke to me, “by a show of hands ask the kids who studied and the ones who did not study tell them to go back to their eats.” So I did as the LORD wanted and I was surprised to see many kids turn around (at least they were honest) and go back to their seats. The ones who studied I prayed for to do well on their summer exam. All of the kids wanted to hear from the LORD “divine guidance,” but most quickly learned divine guidance from the LORD comes only by way of obedience to the LORD. Jeremiah knew God yet he felt utterly dependent upon God. “O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walks to direct his steps.” (Jeremiah 10:23) The LORD’s approval is with those who are dependent upon Him; those who seek counsel from His mouth. Because of one act of disobedience the human race fell and that one act of disobedience cost the Son of God His life. Some of the consequences of being out of the will of God are seen when Israel (and often us) continued in her disobedience to God. “And among these nations shall you find no ease, neither shall the sole of your foot have rest: but the Lord shall give you there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind.” (Deuteronomy 28:65) Did you know there are conditions which are symptomatic of being out of the will of God like: uneasiness, restlessness, uncertainty, fearfulness, lack of assurance, discontent, and spiritual bondage? There are others, but these indicate something is out of alignment in our relationship with the LORD. When these conditions are present we would do well to consider our having missed the will and purpose of the LORD. Knowing the mind of God in matters that pertain to us is very important. Guidance can be divided into two distinct categories: “unconditional” and “conditional” guidance. Unconditional guidance is God guiding us in His sovereign grace, independent of anything we do, or do not do. Now many of us could testify that the LORD had been guiding us unconditionally (in spite of our heart condition) before we were saved to be able to bring us to a place of salvation. However, conditional guidance is much different because there are conditions that must be met in order to enjoy what we might call divine guidance. There are times when we need wisdom and direction from the LORD and He has promised to grant such help. Here are some conditions we must meet to be able to receive God’s divine guidance. One condition for this guidance is unselfishness. When we are selfish we incur the disfavor of God for selfishness is the very opposite of the love of God. The love of God is a love that gives. The more we love the Lord the more unselfish we will be toward our fellow human beings. If we want to enjoy the continuous leading of God in our lives we must have a burden and concern for others. Another condition for guidance is for us to trust in God. Solomon said, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) We cannot foresee the future. Therefore we should prayerfully make our decisions giving God the opportunity to redirect us because only He knows what is ahead. We must maintain a position in which we can say (to the best of our knowledge) we are moving in the ways and will of the LORD and desire His correction. We should not hurry the LORD because sometimes He takes us only one step at a time. Still another condition is sincerity of heart is another factor. Jeremiah reveals a condition for this guidance, “For you dissembled in your hearts, when you sent me to the Lord your God, saying, Pray for us according to all that the Lord our God shall say, so declare it to us, and we will do it.” (Jeremiah 42:20) A dissembling in our hearts is making a false pretense in intention. They had already determined that if God told them to not go to Egypt they would go anyway. They did and carried the Prophet Jeremiah with them. We cannot expect God to guide us unless we are sincere and willing to obey His Word. Another condition for guidance is patience or our being willing to wait for the LORD. Sometimes God is silent because we already know His will, yet we ask God again thinking that He might change His mind. God may change His mind and let us have our own way, but remember what is written: “He gave them (the children of Israel) their requests (the desires of their heart), but sent leanness into their souls.” (Psalm 106:15) When God has not spoken it is better to wait than to move on our own. We should abide in the circumstance and place to which we are called, until the LORD speaks differently. Sometimes the LORD waits to see whether we really desire His will or whether we are bent on having our own way with or without His guidance. Do not take the silence of God to be equivalent to consent. Did you know there is a huge distinction between instruction and teaching? Instruction reveals the principles of divine guidance while teaching helps us to receive and move in divine guidance. The LORD may teach us to discern His will through our circumstances or problems. Therefore, we must understand the principals of guidance. The LORD has promised to guide us (Psalms 32:8) even when we are not aware of our need for guidance, but this guidance by intimation what God does want for us. If we desire guidance we must be pliable. “The meek will He guide in judgment; and the meek will He teach His way” (Psalm 25:9). This meekness is a pliability that enables the LORD to guide us gently rather than by the force of circumstances. Guidance can come through the Word of God, the Holy Spirit, or by divine providence. The LORD in His wisdom has given us these three clocks so when we are in a difficulty, if the Word, the Spirit, and divine providence agree as one we have a three-fold factor of safety and we then can be reasonably sure that we are hearing from the Lord. Still another form of guidance relates to personal integrity. Again Solomon said, “The integrity of the upright shall guide them….” (Proverbs 11:3) There is guidance by integrity (standards of righteousness) that we receive from the written Word of God. The LORD would have us to be guided by principles of integrity where we do what is right even though we could evade it. The Word of God establishes standards of right and wrong and the LORD expects us to adhere to these standards without special revelation. We do not need a revelation to discover that we are obligated to obey the Word. There are those who seemingly receive a special revelation which either modifies or supersedes the Word of God. I have a friend who thinks God needs to tell him by some special revelation to move into the community of a church he seeks to pastor is just presumptive, lacks spiritual discernment, and plain down arrogant. The Spirit of God will never give any revelation which in any way takes from, adds to, or modifies the written Word of God. God is very concerned about our integrity and our character. Are our words true? Are our motives honest? Do we do what we say or change like the wind when it benefits us. Let us be like Paul who said even though an angel should say anything to the contrary let him be accursed. The Spirit of God will never violate the Word of God. The Word of God stands preeminent as an infallible means of guidance when rightly understood. Last there is an aspect of divine guidance that is the restraint of the Spirit of God. For instance when Paul sought to go into Asia he was forbidden by the Holy Spirit. And when he wanted to go into Bithynia, “the Spirit suffered them not” or did not permit them. The Spirit restrains or confirms through our being checked or by the witness of His peace. Did you know there is a differentiation between peace with God and the peace of God? Peace with God has to do with our relationship with God while the peace of God has to do with our walk. Peace with God comes first whereby the enmity between us and God is removed. The peace of God should follow soon after, but not all Christians who have peace with God also have the peace of God. The peace of God comes through our walking in the Spirit and is a state of tranquility and rest produced in our heart by the Spirit. It is a supernatural peace that passes all understanding. It keeps us at rest in the midst of conflict, difficulty, and enables us to say, praise the LORD. The peace of God is one of the forms of guidance restraining us by an inner unrest, uncertainty, or confirming and is a certain course of action by a witness, satisfaction, or a deep inner rest. The peace of God can be described negatively, positively, experientially, positional, and judicially. It is not a mere absence of disturbance, but a conscious rest which is independent of circumstances, favorable, or unfavorable. Jesus taught in principle, “My sheep know my voice.” Many have often said, “But how do I know it is the voice of the Spirit?” One of the best ways to learn the recognition of His voice is like these sheep; they had learned to recognize His voice through continued association and hearing. If we are interested in the recognition of His voice we must see to it that we live and walk in close association with Him and in doing so we will hear the divine guidance we so badly need to hear. Written by David Stahl