Guidance

"My son, keep your father’s command and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. Bind them always on your heart;fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you." Pr 6:20-22 NIV

Proverbs is a wisdom book to instruct us to get God's wisdom in our lives. It begins with a proper disposition - having the fear and reverence for God (Pr 1:7;9:10). This posture means we are willing and humble to be used by God and ready to obey when God speaks to us. Jesus says, "My sheep hear My voice and I know them and they follow Me." (Jn 10:27 NASB). What a wonderful promise by our Lord to those who belong to Him!

Guidance from God can come from different sources. In the passage quoted above from Proverbs, we see that the counsel of godly people, be they our parents or church leaders, can be a real source of guidance. Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, advised him regarding the way he should approach people's problems and not wear himself out thin doing all the work by himself. That was one real good counsel! (Ex 18)

In our walk of life, we certainly need guidance for a lot of things - schools to go to, courses to take, who to marry or not to marry, where to stay, how to handle a difficult situationn, etc. Sometimes God can specifically guide us with a rhema word that comes supernaturally through dreams, visions, prophets or the impression of the Holy Spirit. The rhema word would be a counsel in season because that's the issue we could be contending with at that point in time. I remember receiving a prophetic word quite sometime back that God was doing a work in my family to bring healinng and restoration; it was certainly a word in season at that time and it brought tears to my eyes.

Most of the time, God expects us to hear Him through His written Word. The Bible tells us that in the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe (Heb 1:1-2 NIV). Jesus Christ is the incarnation of God, to reveal the Father to us and how we are to conduct ourselves as citizens of the kingdom of God. The logos or written Word that has been preserved for us contains much of His words. We are to read and meditate on the Word of God in order that we may allow God to speak to our lives. We don't need someone to tell us we ought to forgive one another because God's Word explicitly say so (Eph 4:32).

The Bible may not address a lot of issues specifically but it does provide us with precepts and principles to guide us in life. For instance, 1 Cor 6:12 says, “I have the right to do anything,” you say — but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything” — but I will not be mastered by anything. We may have the freedom to do many things within the acceptable limits of the law but we have to contend with whether it is beneficial for others or ourselves and whether one would come under any bondage or addiction. When that happens, the freedom we have been given to exercise may be subtly taken away from us without our knowing.

May God's counsel guide, watch and speak to us in our waking and sleeping times as we seek Him daily.