God’s Guidance!

Parks in our neighborhood (Anna Nagar, Chennai) are not very big, so my husband does not like walking in those parks.  We usually walk along the sidewalks in Anna Nagar.  The sidewalks on significant roads have maintenance holes covered with covers at regular intervals.  My husband always says that we should not walk on those covers.  So whenever I see a cover, I hear my husband in my head saying, 'Walk around it.'  It is challenging not to listen to his voice, so I invariably walk around it!  In every believer's heart, we can hear the prompting of the Holy Spirit pointing us in the right direction, but obeying or ignoring it rests with us.  When we get angry with someone and utter an unwanted word, the Holy Spirit immediately prompts in our hearts, but apologizing to that person rests with us!

God is willing to guide us, provided we are eager to hear His voice and obey.  The Bible says in Isaiah 30:21, "Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ""This is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left."  Israel and Judah received this prophecy when the Assyrian army was attacking them.  God had promised to defend his people, but Judah negotiated a pact with Egypt.  In looking to Egypt, Judah forsook the LORD.  Trusting God's promise means looking to God for guidance.  It means waiting for God's time and His method of deliverance.  We do not have to run around for support but wait for God's time and guidance.   Judah could have trusted God for His promise, but they did not.  The problem God confronted in Judah did not end in the days of Judah.  Paul describes the same kind of heart in 2 Timothy 4:3-4.  People like to hear only what they want from prophets according to their desires.  While attending the prompting of the Holy Spirit, no one wants to stop, turn around and obey.  Then, we cannot blame God, saying God does not guide us! 

My friend,  God is willing to guide us, but the human heart is unwilling to obey Him or walk in His ways.  Unless we return to God, ready to listen to His voice and abide by His counsel, we cannot be helped.  The guidance for every believer is available through the Holy Spirit.  The Bible commands us to "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Gal 5:16).

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