“He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:3
October 18, 2022
There is a life God wants us to live (“The days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.” Psa. 139:16). God gives us guidance by making us wise. This is not a process of looking for clues to find out what God’s hidden sovereign will is for us. It is our responsibility to know what God’s desire is for us through the commands He has given in His Word. This we know as the revealed will of God. Our Father knows what is best and the appropriate response is to “consider His wish as our command.” This is accomplished by following the means by which we may experience His guidance in our lives. First of all, He has given us His Word. It is our compass, or the instrument panel if you will. God has also given us His Holy Spirit (1 Jn. 2:27). He teaches us how to distinguish truth from error. The Holy Spirit makes the spiritual lights come on to give us the understanding we need. With this we have the privilege of prayer. Prayer changes things as we ask God to help us make the right decisions. God guides us through the variety of gifts He has distributed in the church. I thank God for Mr. Rainwater who encouraged me in my early Christian years to preach at the city prison. Paths of righteousness open up for us through God’s providential control of all our circumstances (Rom. 8:28). Life is not like a box of chocolates, just opening the box and see what you get. God wants us to depend on Him, saturate our minds with His Word, seek His wisdom, pray, seek wise counsel, and know that He is with us. H
A time to pray: “O Lord, keep me off the wrong paths in life and give me the sense to know where Satan’s traps are. Keep your commands ever before my mind’s eye.”