“Lord, what should I do?” (4)

“Along unfamiliar paths I will guide them.” Isa 42:16 NIV

Another way God will lead you is: Through confronting your fear and taking a step of faith. Are you feeling uncertain or afraid as to God’s will in the situation? His promise to you is: “I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them” (v. 16 NIV). Pay particular attention to the words: “unfamiliar paths”…”darkness”…“rough places.” When you’ve sought God’s guidance through the Scriptures, when you’ve tried to listen to the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit, and when you’ve reached for the wisdom of trustworthy people, then you must step out in faith and do what you believe God is calling you to do. It’s one thing to ask, “Lord, what should I do?” It’s entirely another thing to ask, “Am I willing to do it once You make it clear?” Try to answer these two questions: (a) What makes risk so difficult for you? Be honest. For most of us risk and change are uncomfortable, challenging, and even threatening. That’s why the Bible says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding” (Pr 3:5). If you’ve been in the habit of leaning on your own understanding, it’s a hard habit to break. Now, God doesn’t say, “Don’t use your understanding”; He says, “Don’t lean on it—lean on Me.” (b) Are you willing to make a major change in your life—assuming that it’s the Lord’s will? You must answer these two questions. And not until they are answered correctly are you ready to move ahead.

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