This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go”. ~Isaiah 48:17 (NIV)
Have you ever come to a place in life where you weren't sure what would be the best thing to do? Or what would be the best direction for you to go? Maybe you are there right now. We all have crossroads and detours in life, and we all need guidance. From how to deal with a wayward family member to how we should invest our money, God promises to guide and help us in all our decision making. He tells us in Isaiah 48:17 and many other places in scripture that He Himself will guide us. But the catch is we have to be willing to be led. Have you ever heard the idiom “you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink”? That is said to be one of the oldest English proverbs that is still in use today. It means you can give someone the opportunity, but you cannot make them receive it if they do not want to. When I was young my grandmother always had the same response to that proverb. Her reply was “yeah but you can salt his oats!” Salting the oats would give the horse a desire for water. Sometimes God salts our oats. He says in Isaiah 48:10-11 “See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.” (NIV) Have you ever felt like you have been tested in the furnace of affliction? Let me share with you a modern-day example of what that feels like. When we find ourselves smack dab in the middle of a situation that we can absolutely do nothing about and no matter how hard we try we cannot orchestrate circumstances to change, we are what you might say being tested in the furnace of affliction. This can occur in any area of life, and we can be sure it’s in that very area that we need to change our perspective. For instance, if it’s in our finances, the Lord might want us to start looking into how He would have us handle our money. If it’s in our relationships, we might need to take a look at how much we are complaining about someone verses how much we are praying for them. Affliction should inspire us to seek God and His wisdom for our lives.
God leads us by His Holy Spirit, and it is important we learn to hear the voice of God. But if we refuse, He has no problem allowing our circumstances to lead us back to Him and His truth. For the most part nothing changes until we do. It’s our faith that enables us to make changes and the Lord tells us in Romans 10:17 that “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God”. So, open your bible. Spend time in God’s word. It will change your life. He will instruct you and lead you just as He has promised if you commit yourself to getting to know Him. We all have to come to a place of understanding that God’s word is more true than any circumstance we encounter. It is the living truth. How much time you spend in the word of God is directly related to your level of success and victory in this life because God meets us there to give us wisdom and insight, teaching us what is best for us and directing us in the way we should go.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight." ~Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
When was the last time you needed some guidance from the Lord?
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