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God's Promise To Guide Us
By David J. Stewart
"For this God is
our God for ever and ever:
he will be our guide even unto death."
—Psalm 48:14
What
a wonderful promise from God! The Bible teaches that God has promised
to guide the believer unto death. The word guide in the Hebrew
is, nahag, meaning, “to drive, lead, guide, conduct.” Carefully
notice that the word “guide” does NOT mean to force or compel. God has
promised to lead us through this life; BUT He will not force us to
do the right thing.
Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am
God...” Unlike the Devil's crowd who allure their victims with
flashing neon lights, God does not force Himself upon mankind. Man has a freewill. God didn't force Noah to build the ark; but
rather, Noah built the ark by faith in the Lord (Hebrews 11:7). God
didn't force David to fight Goliath; but rather, David fought Goliath by
faith in God (Hebrews 11:32). Genuine faith is dynamic, i.e., it makes
things happen. Passive faith is no faith at all, but mere optimism. Obedience to the Word of God is faith.
John 10:11,27 state... “I am
the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep... My
sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” Do you see, we are the sheep and Jesus Christ is the Divine Shepherd who
guides us.
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Psalm 25:9 - “The meek will he
guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.”
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Psalm 31:3 - “For thou art my
rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and
guide me.”
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Psalm 32:8 - “I will instruct
thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide
thee with mine eye.”
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Psalm 48:14 - “For this God is
our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.”
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Psalm 73:24 - “Thou shalt
guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.”
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Psalm 78:52 - “But made his own
people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness
like a flock.”
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Psalm 78:72 - “So he fed them
according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the
skilfulness of his hands.”
God has promised to guide the believer
throughout life, if we will be led by the Spirit of Christ through the Word
of God. What a Savior!
It's been said that a coincidence is God's way
of remaining anonymous. What we call coincidence is often in fact God's
timing. God continues to guide and direct our paths, even when it seems that
we are being led out of the way sometimes. God knows exactly what's going
on. Matthew 20:29-30 says that God even knows the number of hairs on our
head. Nothing ever occurs to God. Psalms 136:1-6 is an amazing passage of
Scriptures, comforting us that God knows every minute detail of our life, 24
hours a day, even the very thoughts of our mind before we think them...
Psalms 139:1-6, “O LORD, thou hast
searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine
uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my
path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there
is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such
knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.”
It's important that we do our part and then
just rest in the promises of God, trusting the Lord to do His part in His
own unique ways and time. Proverb 3:5-6 teaches to trust upon the Lord, lean
not unto our own understanding, and to acknowledge God in all our ways.
The
Hebrew word for “acknowledge” is yawdah and means, “A primitive root;
to know (properly to ascertain by seeing).” It means that we ought to seek
God's opinion in every decision of life. Interestingly, the Bible never
tells us to SEEK God's will in our life; but rather, to KNOW
what the will of God is from the Bible. This is why Jesus commanded every
Christian in John 5:39... SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES!!! What does
the Bible teach?
Search the Scriptures
The Holy
Spirit guides us with the Holy Scriptures. Jesus said in John 5:40...
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES! We cannot reasonably expect God to lead
us if we are unwilling to study the Bible. So many people spend their
lives pursuing “God's will” to no avail, because they remain ignorant of the
Scriptures. How can we know God's will if we refuse to know God's
Word? The Bible is God's instruction manual for humanity. John
16:13 states, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will
guide you into all truth... Sanctify them through thy truth:
thy word is truth" (John 17:17). The Holy Spirit NEVER guides
us contrary to the Word of God.
Beware of False Shepherds
Many people today are being
deceived by a host of demonic psychic mediums on TV, who speak about
“spirits”; but they know not the Holy Spirit of God. Literally, millions
of people are seeking spiritual guidance from imposters like
John Edward,
Sylvia Browne,
Char Margolis,
James Van Praagh,
Oprah Winfrey, and
Dr. Phil. These are all
Modernists, who speak about God; but it is not the God of the Bible. They speak about spirits; but they are familiar spirits (i.e., demons). Any mention of spirituality or spirits that exclude the Word
of God is Satanic! Keep this thought in mind. 2nd Corinthians 10:5
states... “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that
exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity
every thought to the obedience of Christ.” Do you ever hear
the psychics talking about obedience to Christ? No. of course they
don't. They are
sinfully arrogant and proud, exalting themselves against the knowledge of
God, i.e., the Word of God.
New Age is a deadly poison,
which has infiltrated and infested American TV, books, magazines, movies,
and school curriculum. The basic idea of New Age is that there is NO
actual Person called God; but rather, God is merely the energy of life, the
“force” behind everything, and a light which can be reached through any
sincere attempt. New Agers reject
the Biblical teaching that Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to Heaven (John
14:6). Thus, New Age is a lie of the Devil (1st John 2:22). Many
occult practices are rooted in New Age philosophies, including
reincarnation.
Trust and Obey
There are many things which I do
not understand about God, such as why children are allowed to
suffer. I realize that man is to blame, and sin is the culprit; but if I
were God, I
could never allow a child to suffer. However, I am not God,
thankfully, for I would likely destroy half the population, and I would
start with SIN CITY Las Vegas! God is so longsuffering and patient
towards mankind; but God's patience will come to an end during the
Tribulation Period (Matthew 24:3-28), and at the Great White Throne
of Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). God is as vengeful (2nd
Thessalonians 1:8) as He is merciful (Joel 2:13).
We must trust God,
and not lean upon our own human reasoning (Proverb 3:5-7). What could we possibly
know, having only been alive for a few years? I marvel at the willing
ignorance and arrogance of college students, who follow the unbelief of
their heathen professors, who seem to have all the answers concerning life;
but they are as fools headed for utter destruction (Romans 1:22). It is rebellion
against God! The world places God on trial, demanding PROOF of His
existence; YET, nature itself is abundant proof of God's Divine Godhead and
power (Psalm 19:1-3; Romans 1:20). Go to any isolated pagan people on earth, and
you'll find faith in some sort of God. Only in modern civilization do
we find men and women who deny the existence of a Divine Creator. It
is out of wishful thinking, and not genuine conviction, that there are
atheists in the modern world today.
Anybody can obey God if they are
willing to ACKNOWLEDGE Him. Romans 1:21 states... “Because that,
when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were
thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was
darkened.”
The word “glorified” means “to acknowledge.” Every child KNOWS that there's a God at some point in their life. As
they grow older, they'll either acknowledge God's presence in their life or
turn aside after Satan. The sinful world does not acknowledge
God, and their glories and accomplishments are empty and
meaningless. Their foolish heart is darkened, hardened by sin and
unbelief. They
are the blind leading the blind.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Psalms 37:23, “The steps
of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.”
We read in Proverbs 3:5,6... “Trust
in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Carefully notice that there are three things listed, as prerequisites, for
us to do in order for God to direct our paths:
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Trust in the Lord with all
thine heart.
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Lean not unto thine own
understanding.
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In all thy ways acknowledge
Him.
MANY people today are seeking
God's direction in their life; but they are foolishly going to the
Modernists, the psychics, the so-called “experts,” the talk show hosts, and the greedy
televangelists; BUT, they ought to be going to God's Word. The Bible
tells us to acknowledge God in all our ways, and not to rely upon our own human understanding.
We are to acknowledge God in every area of our life.
The Hebrew word for “acknowledge”
in Proverbs 3:6 is yada and means “to know” (properly to ascertain by
seeing). The word “ascertain” means “after a calculation, investigation,
experiment, or study.” Hence we are to investigate and study the
Scriptures for answers, seeking God's will in every decision we make in
life. The Bible is our field manual. Although we may not be able to find an
exact Scripture reference concerning a particular issue, we can usually form
a conclusion based upon Biblical principles. Jesus commanded every believer
to SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES (John 5:39).
For Example: 2nd Corinthians
6:14 teaches, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:
for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what
communion hath light with darkness?” Therefore, we know that it is
unbiblical for a Christian believer to be unequally yoked together with an
unbeliever in a marriage or business partnership. To marry an unsaved person
would make the Devil your father-in-law. God is our heavenly Father as
believers.
Our part is to trust and obey!
Proverbs 3:6 can be divide into two sections:
The first is composed of 6 words,
“IN ALL THY WAY ACKNOWLEDGE
HIM,”
And then the second part,
“AND HE SHALL DIRECT THY
PATHS.”
If we cannot find an answer in the
Scriptures, only then ought we to seek God's will through prayer. It is
never proper to seek God's will prayerfully about a matter that is already
answered in the Bible.
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For example: You don't need to
pray for God's will concerning whether or not it's ok to marry an
unbeliever. 2nd Corinthians 6:14 already gives us the answer, no.
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For example: You don't need to
pray for God's will about becoming a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader, because
1st Timothy 2:9 commands women to dress in modest apparel. That
definitely means, no, to joining the whore team!
Conclusion
God has promised to guide the
“meek,” that is, those who are willing to be taught and led, docile,
cooperative. Psalms 25:9, “The meek will he
guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.”
Most people don't care what God thinks. If we eagerly study the Bible for
God's opinion, and are willing to do as God commands, then He will guide us
throughout life as He has PROMISED. Isn't that awesome!
So many people
today (including many immature believers) sinfully place God on trial, basing their
judgment upon their own human, finite, limited reasoning. Notice again in
Proverbs 3:5 that we are NOT supposed to lean unto our own understanding. Proverbs 3:5,6... “Trust
in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” The
only opinion that matters is God's opinion. I love the Bible, because it is
the thoughts of God's heart to each generation (Psalms 33:11). Hebrews 4:12
teaches that the Bible is able to discern even between our soul and spirit,
revealing the true intentions of our heart. The Bible shows us THE TRUTH. I
love the Bible because it is pure, honest and truthful about everything.
There is no deceit.
I love the next Scripture.
Psalms 10:4, “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not
seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.” The Christian who loves
Jesus wants God's thoughts with him continually. How else can we acknowledge
God in all our ways if we do not include God in all our thoughts? Romans
1:28 says that the wicked do not like to retain God in their mind, just as
we also learned in Psalms 10:4. As God's children we ought to listen, study
(research to comprehend), memorize and meditate (think about) God's Word
continually. Psalms 40:8, “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy
law is within my heart.”
King David said he mediated in
God's Word day and night (Psalm 1:2). That means thinking about the Bible
deliberately and consciously, seeking God's wisdom. James 1:5 teaches to
pray for wisdom and God will give it to us. Proverbs 4:7 says, “Wisdom is
the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get
understanding.” All of these precious teachings in the Bible go
hand-in-hand. If we want God to guide us, then we must have a meek spirit
that is willing to submit to God's Word. We must trust upon the Lord and not
lean unto our OWN opinions. We must fear the Lord and depart from evil
(Proverbs 3:7). God wants to guide us, but He cannot if we are stubborn as a
mule and insist upon doing things the Frank Sinatra way, that is, “I DID IT
MY WAY” (lyrics from Sinatra's famous song, “My Way”). Sinatra certainly did
do it his way, and he's burning in the fires of Hell forever.
God's
ways are above our ways, and His thoughts above our thoughts... “For my
thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the
LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher
than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8,9). We
won't always make the right decisions, for we are flawed humans. Albeit, God
knows our heart (Proverbs 24:12) and judges accordingly. Psalms 44:21,
“Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.”
If we do our part, then God will
do His. If we will trust the Lord Jesus, and
base all of our decisions upon the Word of God, regardless of our feelings
on the matter, then He has promised to GUIDE us!
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