THE NATURE OF DIVINE GUIDANCE
Pause to hear God's voice today;
Listen closely while you pray
God has something which His Spirit now would speak.
You can find God's perfect will;
All His plan He will fulfil.
You will find it if His will alone you seek.
Follow God, what'er the price,
Tho' it cost you sacrifice;
It is sweet to know and do the will of God.
There's a gap for you to fill;
Do not miss God's call and will
Lest you stain your conscience and your hands with blood.
Wesley Duewel
Some of the most precious experiences in life may be times when the Lord makes His presence known as we step out in harmony with His perfect will. These precious manifestations sometimes follow obedience to His guidance. This assures us all the more that we are in His will.
The following is a summary of the nature of Divine Guidance:
"You have made known to me the path of life" (Ps. 16:11).
The secret of the guidance of God is the God who guides. His character is impeccable - He will not deceive us. His love is all-embracing - He will not do us harm. His knowledge is unlimited - He knows the pitfalls and will lead us aright. His understanding is infinite - He knows our desires, our weaknesses, our temptations, our frailties. there can be no better guide. He has pledged Himself to guide us. For what more could we ask?
Speaking of the Christians' pathway God says:
"Wicked fools will not go about on it" (Is. 35:8).
"In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight" (Prov. 3:6).
"Who, then, is the man that fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him" (Ps. 25:12).
The Lord is more anxious than we are that we should be absolutely clear about His will. Darkness is sometimes caused by an over-anxiety to do the will of God and this results in bondage of spirit, confusion of mind, tension of body, and sorrow of heart. The fear of going out of God's will can become a morbid thing and stop action. On the other hand darkness can be caused by refusing the leading that we suspect He will give us, and this results in the hardening of our attitudes and response to God. However, God wants us to be led clearly and He will give that clear guidance. Come, let's trust Him.
His guidance is for the whole of our lives.
"For this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end" (Ps. 48:14).
It is not only as we deal with the specific issue of the call of God that we need divine guidance, but right through life we will need it and He will supply it. This He has guaranteed to do. Our lives are safe with Him.
Guidance does not come to two people alike. He guided the wise men by a star, but we have no record of His guiding anyone else in this way. Moses was guided by means of a burning bush. Paul saw a light from heaven. God's guidance is adapted to each individual's need. People with hasty temperaments will possibly receive cautious leading, and the shy and timid will probably receive words of encouragement and exhort ation. God knows our make-up and deals with us according to our needs.
It is not always the way we think it ought to be and it sometimes seems strange to us. Wasn't it strange to lead Philip away from the movement of the Spirit in Samaria and send him to a lonely Gaza road to meet a black man who was trying to find God?
When God told Ananias to go and see the blood-thirsty Saul of Tarsus, Ananias hesitated for this was very strange leading! Yet God insisted, and Ananias obeyed and was instrumental in bringing great blessing to the man who was to be so mightily used. God led the Israelites straight towards the impassable Red Sea, yet it was the right leading. He "led the people around by the desert road towards the Red Sea" (Ex. 13:18). The usual caravan route from Egypt was beside the Mediterranean Sea to Gaza, a comparatively short distance. The Sinai route was much longer. God led his children the long way round for discipline and training:
"Your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart..." (Deut. 8:2).
God's great concern for us is the moulding of our characters. God's ways are not our ways. His guidance is unique.
We are exhorted to "understand what the Lord's will is" (Eph. 5:17). God is willing to guide us concerning every detail, great and small. No matter is too small, and none too great for us to bring Him so that we may know His will concerning it. He is interested in the smallest thing that has to do with our life.
"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord" (Ps. 37:23 AV). (Yes, and his stops too!) God leads step by step. It is gracious, gentle leading. He often gives us just enough light to take one step, and having taken it, we find enough to take the next. Often we are conscious of His leading, but many times we are led uncon sciously, and will be able to say with Abraham's servant as we look back, "As for me, the Lord has led me" (Gen 24:27).
"I will guide thee with mine eye" (Ps. 32:8 AV). No words are needed - just a look. He directs in intimacy as we keep looking to Him. Only as the eyes 'of our heart' meet His eyes can we be directed, and this occurs in the intimacy of divine communion. He earnestly desires us to move in the path of His choosing. We need to keep close to Him to be available to Him that we may be directed by Him.
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