Isaiah 35:8 – “A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness.  The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others.  Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray.”  NKJV

 

I want to embark on the consideration of a subject that, I believe, will better enable many to discover how to discern or know what we are supposed to do in our lives.  I have had so many inquiries about this matter that I find that no matter where I preach and teach this is a topic many want to consider because so many are struggling in this area.

I have discovered two extremes in the Christian world in which we live.  One says, “God told me” concerning everything and the other says “God doesn’t speak today.”  Both, in my view, are extremes and have proven to be detrimental to the cause of the Kingdom of God.  Both have contributed to the discarding, by many, the wonderful truth of DIVINE GUIDANCE and resulted in throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

The text passage of Isaiah is a wonderful promise and a cause for hope.  What a picture, a highway in the wilderness that is so clear, level and straight the even the simple can follow it.  God wants to GUIDE US today!  Jesus said in John 16:13, “When He, the Spirit of Truth is come, He will GUIDE you into ALL TRUTH…”  This GUIDE of John 16 is clearly the Holy Spirit and He is a Person in the sense that He has personality, mind, will, and emotion.  He cannot be reduced to a METHOD, but He does work according to some clearly revealed principles in Scripture.

Therefore, our objective is to “distinguish” God’s Guidance from the confusion of our own desires, prejudices, preconceived notions, and impulses as well as identify the devil’s counterfeit leading and impressions.  Nobody gets lost on a straight road!  Everybody is interested in finding a “surefire” way to KNOW what direction to take or course of action to follow.  We want to be on target and not miss the mark in life.  In fact, even the world, avidly seeks out many forms of guidance and some of it has seeped into the Church world such as psychic prognosticators, astrologers, market analyst, etc.  You can find hundreds of experts, yet there are incredible disagreement and confusion among seekers of truth.  WHY?  A very simplistic answer is they believe that all wisdom comes from the same source.  FALSE!  The Bible identifies two sources of wisdom.  There is Wisdom from Above – GOD and there is Wisdom from Below – Satan.  Both are supernatural.  Both can be sought.  Both can be found.  The Wisdom from Above is TRUTH, the other is FALSE.  One causes us to HIT THE MARK the other causes us to ERR and MISS THE MARK.  Now that I have caused some consternation in hearts let me state that God wants us to KNOW clearly His Will and Word.

GOD’S PROVISIONS FOR GUIDANCE…

• The Lord Jesus Christ.

In Him, we have Salvation and have been reestablished in right relationship and are exposed to and have access to Light and Life in and of God.

• The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

In Acts 2:38 we read, “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  In John 16:13 we find, “But when He, the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak of His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”  Luke 11:13 declares, “If you then, being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.”  God wants to give us the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit’s ministry is to be OUR GUIDE.

• The Holy Scriptures.

The Bible is the written revelation of the will and purpose of God and is, in my view, infallible.   James 8:31-32, “Jesus therefore, was saying to those Jews who had believed in Him, if you ABIDE in My Word, THEN you are truly disciples of Mine; and you SHALL KNOW the truth and the truth shall MAKE YOU FREE.”

Everybody lives by or under some authority, whether Pluto or Plato, the God of all creation or the god of this world.  But blessed is the person who makes God’s Word his/her authority.  Jesus said that if we do, we will never be put to shame!  So it is clear from even a casual reading of scripture we cannot avoid the idea that God wants to give us guidance.

I want to say more but will pause here until next time and pray that God will grant you His perfect peace to walk in His way and will.  Blessings abundantly are my prayer!