DIVINE GUIDANCE

The vast majority of people want to do the right thing. Throughout life, and sometimes on a daily basis, decisions need to be made. Some are relatively minor, and others could change the entire flow and balance of our future. If we knew the outcome we would be sure to give due weight in each case to ensure a happy conclusion … but we do not  know!

Repeated phrases like; “The Lord showed me”, “The Lord spoke to my heart”, “I was prompted of the Spirit” are commonly used to explain why we acted as we did in a particular situation. None of these are inherently wrong, and when accurately discerned, they are wonderful. But they are rather intangible, and often very subjective. What they have in common is that they profess direct communication from God in one form or the other. Again, this is wonderful when it is truly from God but deceptive when it is not. The Lord does indeed sometimes show us or even directly tell us what is best. But more often, it is only after the fact as we look back and see how it turned out for our good that we see His hand in it. (Otherwise we blame it on the Devil).

A less dramatic expression, and one that is less dangerous says “I believe this is God’s will”. It is less dangerous only because it does not lay absolute responsibility on God for the choices you make. It is not a happy day when you must confess that you were mistaken about directions you attributed directly to God Himself. On the other hand, there are Christians that have a Theology of Fatalism that removes any reason for seeking the comfort of Divine Guidance.

My intention in this article is to show that a Spirit filled man or woman does not need to be in confusion all the time about what is the will of God. I am speaking to those who are genuinely born again by the Spirit of God. In fact, if you are not:

(1)   Spirit Filled.

(2)   Involved in reading the Word of God on a regular basis

(3)   Praying fervently on a regular basis, and

(4)   Fellowshipping with the Saints on a regular basis.

  >Do not expect Divine Guidance except to hear “ Repent! ”

 The Prophet in Amos 8:11-12  Prophesies about the famine of God’s Word in the last days. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it. This famine has been a recurring theme throughout history, but will be (and is) more clearly seen as the end time approaches. Way back in the time of Eli the High Priest we are told that  “The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.”  I Samuel 3:1 (NIV).

 I must say that the problem is not because God does not speak during long periods of time, but rather that people are not listening during these periods. Carnal man will not listen to the instruction of God's Word until they run into a calamity. Then they look for some message of comfort, perhaps in prayer, but receive no answer. All their vain confidences will fail, and they perish with none to help them.

 Nevertheless, if you are Spirit Filled, Reading the Word, Praying Regularly and in Fellowship with the Saints, then you may indeed

>Expect to be led (and followed) by Divine Guidance.

With that much said, let me make a few observations for you to consider.

(1) God is not as concerned about which way you go, as He is that He go with you.

(2) Positive Guidance is not as common as we often imagine.

(3) Negative Guidance is Biblical and can set you free from doubt and fear.

A good example of positive guidance is found in Acts 10, beginning in verse 10 where Peter falls into a trance. He sees heaven open and something resembling a sheet coming down filled with a variety of non-kosher animals and other critters. This was followed three times by the voice of the Lord directing Peter to slaughter and eat of the things in the sheet. Now as if that were not enough, and because Peter was a little slow in understanding what this all meant, God ordained that certain men from the house of Cornelius should come just at that time looking for Peter. The Spirit again spoke directly to him that he should go with them and not doubt that it was the will of God.

Acts 16 shows us what negative guidance looks like. Paul’s entourage is going about their business, visiting various churches, and pretty much coming and going as they thought wise. But when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia we find that they were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia. And again after they came to Mysia, and were ready to go to Bithynia, the Spirit did not allow it. We are not told exactly how the Spirit communicated with the group, only that He did. A few verses later Paul receives more positive guidance in the verses which we often label “The Macedonian Call”. It is a vision of a man of Macedonia asking Paul to come and help them by preaching the Gospel to the Macedonians.

How are you to apply this information from the Bible? Well, that is the point I am making. Proverbs 16:9 in the New King James Bible says  A man's heart plans his way: but the LORD directs his steps. This means that under normal conditions, a Spirit filled person should be able to go about their life doing what they think is good if they are operating in the Lord. Because this person is attentive to the Spirit of God, he can be reached with either positive or negative guidance as the Lord sees fit.

So then, I make plans according to what I believe is profitable and pleasing to God. All the while I am open for direction, either confirming my plan or negating it. This has helped me both to make decisions with less turmoil and to accept the outcome of the decisions that I do make. 

Resting with your decisions is a very important aspect of guidance. It means that whichever way you go, you must accept the consequences as coming from God. This is not easy, because most of us are willing to accept only pleasant things from God. Sometimes the Lord will lead you into unpleasant situations, perhaps even something approaching disaster. We certainly recognize Paul as a man of God, led by the Spirit and constantly struggling to please the Father. And yet in that often quoted portion of Scripture we get a glimpse of what he went through for the sake of the Gospel:  Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches II Corinthians 11:23-28     

Are you getting the idea? Because most of us live in a relatively peaceful environment, we preach a “Gospel of Tranquility” that is not always accurate. Look around the world and see the persecution and poverty that sometimes accompanies the preaching of the Gospel, and which more closely represents what was the prevalent situation in New Testament times. Remember that it is through trials and tribulations that we grow in faith and gain approval from God. (James 1:2,4,12) I am afraid that Paul would be asked to leave some modern day Churches because he is a troublemaker. In fact, many Christians would wonder if they were save at all if they went through a fraction of these difficulties.

One more piece of advice before I go. An important aspect of Divine Guidance is to keep you from error. Over the years there has been multitudes of new “Movements” and novelty schemes from the Ecumenical to the Charismatic to the “fake” Discipleship, to the “Laughing Gas Movement”. There is also the tendency to use worldly means to save the world, especially the music and entertainment. When you are at a crossroads and in doubt about which way to go, give priority to the old ways before jumping into something new and novel simply because it is new. In modern times, things change so rapidly that we are hardly able to keep up with it. It is very tempting to latch onto every new trend or doctrine that comes along. More often than not when the fad wears off the result puts us further back than we were before we made the decision to embrace it. Wise men are able to make a balance between the stubbornness of “We always did it this way” and the impetuosity of “Making change for change’s sake”. Heed the words of Jeremiah 6:16