God’s guidance system (1)

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you.”

Ps 32:8 NKJV

Before talking about what divine guidance is, let us be clear about what it’s not: (1) A last resort. We don’t think much about spiritual guidance until we face major questions like who to marry, what house to buy, and which stock to invest in. Spiritual guidance isn’t a hot line! The key to knowing whether you really desire God’s will lies in asking, “How often do I seek His guidance when I’m not facing difficulties?” (2) Only for a privileged few. In the Old Testament God made a donkey speak (See Nu 22:28). Now, what if the donkey had put on airs and considered itself an exalted spiritual class above all the other quadrupeds? (3) An excuse to do nothing. One man said he decided not to seek a certain job, because it would be a sign of God’s will if he got it without trying. So does that mean whatever happens as a result of our passivity is God’s will? That’s like sitting in the middle of the highway and saying, “If I don’t get run over by a car, I’ll know it’s God’s doing, and not me acting in the flesh.” (4) Playing it safe. Sometimes we don’t really want guidance; we want safety! Decision-making can be scary—and lonely. Even small decisions can create anxiety. God wants us to develop good judgment, and there’s no way to do that without making choices, taking risks, and occasionally failing. He wants mature children, not robots. His purpose isn’t just to get us to perform the right actions, but to become the right kind of people.

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