Finding Your Way One Step at a Time
Bible Reading: Psalm 119:105-112
Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105
Some of us would give a whole lot to be Gary Hobson, the character played by actor Kyle Chandler on the TV drama Early Edition. Hobson is a quiet guy who becomes a hero after reading the news of the future in his newspaper. Week after week, Hobson prevents life-threatening tragedies because he knows about them hours before they happen, thanks to the mysterious “early edition” left on his doorstep. Think of the advantages of knowing the future.
• You could study for all those surprise quizzes in school.
• You could steel yourself ahead of time to look thrilled when your grandparents give you a CD of Wayne Newton’s greatest hits for your birthday.
• You would have prior warning when someone is about to tell a hilarious joke at mealtime that makes you laugh and squirt milk out your nose.
Wouldn’t you like to know in advance the details of God’s specific will for the major matters of your life? Your life would be a whole lot less complicated if you knew now where you’ll go to college, what you’ll do for a career, which lucky person you’ll marry, even where and when you’ll retire and expire. Don’t you wish that God, who actually does know the future, would let you in on just a little of it?
In his loving wisdom, God chooses to keep the future hidden. He chooses instead to reveal his specific will for your life one day at a time, one step at a time.
God has a plan for showing you his specific will. The critical first step to discerning his step-by-step direction for your life is getting into his Word. A second step is prayer. Go ahead and ask for his wisdom. A third step is the counsel of mature believers. Getting wisdom from others keeps you from rushed or immature decisions. And a fourth step is circumstances. That’s when you watch for God to open and close doors in your life.
God doesn’t hide knowledge of your future from you to be mean. He’s holding back information that would be too much for you to handle. And as he leads you step-by-step through life, it’s also his tender way of holding you close.
TALK: What would you think of God if he had left you to find your way in the world alone?
PRAY: God, in all the areas of life where we need to make decisions, thank you for giving us direction.
ACT: Do you have friends or family who are looking for God’s guidance? Steer them toward God’s Will, God’s Best, a book on discovering God’s will by Josh McDowell and Kevin Johnson.