Three Ways God Directs and Protects

“When he has led out all of his sheep, he walks in front of them, and they follow, because they know his voice.” John 10:4 (CEV)

The goodness of God directs and protects me. There are three more benefits of God’s goodness: how he guides, guards, and saves me through Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

God guides me. When I get confused or wander away, Jesus will find me and bring me back. Much like sheep, I tend to wander—and get lost. So God sent Jesus on a search and rescue mission to save me, “to seek and save those who are lost” (Luke 19:10 NLT).

Why? Because every single one of us matters to him.

When God brings me back from wandering away from him, he will not punish me, but he may discipline me. Like a shepherd that wraps the legs of a sheep that is prone to wander, God may give me a “limp” to keep me from wandering.

God guards me. If I fail or fall, Jesus rescues me and sets me on the road to recovery. I not only wander, but, just like sheep, I also stumble and fall. The good news is that I can run to Jesus every time I mess up and expect him to rescue and restore me.  

Jesus said, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep!” (Matthew 12:11-12 NIV). If it’s common sense to rescue an animal that stumbles, won’t God act the same way toward you when you stumble?

God saves me. If I trust him to save me, Jesus will keep his promise to do just that. It’s not my job to save myself. My job is simply to put my hand in God’s and say, “I’m all yours—the good, the bad, and the ugly.” God loves me too much to ever let me go.

Jesus said it like this: “My Father gave my sheep to me. He is greater than all, and no person can steal my sheep out of my Father’s hand” (John 10:29 NCV).

When I trust Jesus as my Savior, I'm no longer on my own. When I feel lost, confused, or like I’ve fallen into a pit, I can trust that the Good Shepherd is always there for me. He will guide me, guard me, and save me.

In Summary:

This text explores the protective, guiding, and saving nature of God through the metaphor of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, primarily drawing from John 10, Luke 19, and Matthew 12. It emphasizes that human beings naturally tend to wander and stumble, but God’s goodness responds not with destruction, but with intentional search, loving discipline, restoration, and ultimate security. The primary message is that trusting Jesus relieves me of the burden of self-salvation, placing my safety, guidance, and recovery entirely in the hands of a Shepherd who values us deeply and will not let us go.

Bottom Line:

Because my security rests in the Good Shepherd’s unwavering care, I can trade the exhaustion of self-reliance for the confidence of His continuous guidance and restoration.

Next Steps:

Identify one specific area in my current routine where I am relying on my own strength to stay on track or fix a mistake. Practice intentional identity alignment by explicitly surrendering control in that area today, setting a clear boundary or habit that invites divine guidance rather than self-driven strain.

Finding the Hidden Path Through Impossible Seas

“Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters—a pathway no one knew was there!” Psalm 77:19 (NLT)

The Bible says God actively works through my circumstances. But I cannot judge my situation apart from God’s wisdom. In other words, I must leave it up to God to interpret my circumstances.

Only God is capable of understanding all the facts, and only he sees the significance of every detail. That’s why it is so important that I use his Word to test what I'm going through.

When I feel overwhelmed or confused about a decision, it might be because I'm so caught up in my own limited way of thinking that it blocks out God’s voice. The Bible says, “God is not a God of disorder but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33 NIV). He is not the author of confusion. So if I'm feeling confused, guess what? It’s not God’s voice speaking in my life.

There will be times I come up against enormous financial, spiritual, or physical barriers. That’s when I need to confess, “God, there are mountains on either side and an impassable barrier in front of me.” And then I wait for God to respond and assure me that he’s got me exactly where he wants me to be. He will make a pathway where there seems to be no way.

Psalm 77:19 says, “Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters—a pathway no one knew was there!” (NLT).

When I don’t know what to do, God will guide me. He didn’t design me to go through life on my own ingenuity and power. I don’t have to just hope I can figure things out.

God wants to lead me on the right path, and he will do that when I surrender to him and his guidance. 

In Summary:

Psalm 77:19 highlights God's ability to create hidden pathways through seemingly impossible obstacles, emphasizing that human perception is inherently limited compared to divine wisdom. When facing overwhelming barriers or confusion, attempting to rely solely on personal ingenuity often blinds us to God's guidance, as confusion does not originate from Him. By filtering life circumstances through Scripture and surrendering the need to decode every detail independently, I allow God to interpret my situation, maintain my peace, and reveal the path forward.

Bottom Line:

When facing impassable obstacles, surrendering my own limited perspective allows God to reveal the hidden path He has already prepared for me.

Next Step:

Identify the specific area of my life where I currently feel the most confusion or pressure, write down the assumptions I'm making about it, and explicitly surrender those outcomes to God by aligning my immediate next decision with a clear biblical truth rather than emotional momentum.

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The Path You Didn’t Know Was There

“Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters—a pathway no one knew was there!” Psalm 77:19 (NLT)

God can use impressions to speak to me. He can use circumstances. He can even use pain. He can use whatever he wants to use.

Oswald Chambers said, “God is the Great Engineer, creating circumstances to bring about moments in our lives of divine importance, leading us to divine appointments.” 

The Bible says God actively works through our circumstances. And so we cannot judge our situation apart from God’s wisdom. In other words, I must leave it up to God to interpret my circumstances. Only he is capable of understanding all the facts, and only he sees the significance of every detail. That’s why it is so important that I test it all by his Word.

If I'm feeling overwhelmed or confused about a decision, I might be caught up in myself and not God’s voice. The Bible says, “God is not a God of disorder but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33 NIV). He is not the author of confusion. So if I'm feeling confused, guess what? It’s not God’s voice speaking in my life.

So many times we come up against enormous financial, spiritual, or physical barriers. That’s when we need to confess, “God, there are mountains on either side and an impassable barrier in front of me.” And then wait for God to respond: “I’ve got you exactly where I want you to be. Watch this.” God will make a pathway where there seems to be no way.

Psalm 77:19 says, “Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters—a pathway no one knew was there!” (NLT).

In summary:

God speaks and guides in many ways—including impressions, circumstances, and even pain—and because only He sees the full picture, I must rely on His Word and wisdom to interpret what’s happening in my life. Confusion is never from God, who brings peace, not disorder. When I face overwhelming barriers and see no path forward, God often uses those moments to reveal His power, creating a way no one else could see, just as He parted the sea for Israel. Instead of relying on my own strength or understanding, I can surrender to His guidance, trusting that He will lead me step by step on the right path.

Bottom line:

When I feel stuck, confused, or facing barriers that seem impossible, God is already at work creating a path I can’t yet see—my role is to surrender, trust His guidance, and let His peace, not my confusion, lead the way.

Next steps:

Identify the specific area where you feel most stuck or unsure right now—and bring it to God in focused surrender.

Not in general… but one clear situation where you need direction today.

Leadership, calling, business, relationships, a decision—identify the point of confusion.

Then pray:

“Lord, I surrender this situation to You. Show me the next step, and I will follow.”

The Wisdom of Listening First

“Listen for God’s voice in everything you do and everywhere you go. He’s the one who will keep you on track.” Proverbs 3:6 (MSG)

In Luke 8:8, Jesus told a crowd who was gathered around him, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear” (NIV). He had something to say—and it was important for them to listen.

The same is true for me. God wants to talk to me—and I need to take time to hear him.

When I hear from God, it proves that you’re in his family. If I don’t have any communication with God, then I don’t have a relationship with him, I just know about him; I don’t really know him. But when I communicate with God—talking to and listening to each other—that proves I have a relationship.

Hearing from God protects me from mistakes, too. When I start listening to God, I find that he warns me about potholes, traps, and bends in the road. I save yourself a lot of time, energy, frustration, and failure when I listen to God and do things his way.

The Message paraphrase of the Bible says, “Listen for God’s voice in everything you do and everywhere you go. He’s the one who will keep you on track” (Proverbs 3:6). Sometimes he just says one or two words like—“Don’t,” or “No,” or “Watch out.” That’s all he needs to say.

And hearing from God also produces success in life. Not the way the world defines success—by wealth or popularity or prestige. That’s not success. Instead, success is exactly who God made me to be. Success is what results from living in the center of God’s will.

In Psalm 32, God promises, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you” (Psalm 32:8 NLT). Notice that God promises to lead me on the best path for my life. What he’s planned for me is different from what he’s planned for everybody else—because he knows that what’s best for someone else isn’t necessarily best for me.

Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27 NLT). I need to be sure to take time to listen to the Good Shepherd today.

In summary:

God desires an ongoing, personal relationship with me—and that begins with learning to listen to His voice in all I do. When I take time to hear from Him, it confirms that I belong to His family and protects me from wrong turns, wasted effort, and unnecessary frustration. Proverbs 3:6 reminds me to “listen for God’s voice in everything,” because He alone keeps me on the right path. Hearing His guidance isn’t about achieving worldly success but about living in alignment with His will—becoming who He created me to be. Like a shepherd leading his sheep, God promises to guide, advise, and watch over me, showing me the best pathway for my life when I choose to listen and follow.

Bottom Line:

When I slow down and listen for God’s voice, He keeps me on the right path—protecting, guiding, and aligning me with His perfect will for my life.

My Next steps:

Build intentional listening time into my daily rhythm—quiet space to hear from God before leading, planning, or creating.

I already lead, coach, and influence others from a place of purpose. I should strengthen that influence by deepening my dependence on divine guidance. Begin each day not with what I must do, but with a moment of surrender: “Lord, what are You saying to me today?” Write down what I sense, align my priorities with it, and let my actions flow from that place of peace and clarity. From that stillness, my leadership will gain even greater spiritual authority, authenticity, and impact.

When the Spirit Speaks: Learning to Hear God’s Guidance Daily

“The Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of what I said when I was with you.” John 14:26 (CEV)

God gave me the Holy Spirit? He is God’s gift to me, showing me how to live faithfully in this world. God speaks to me through ideas and thoughts and suggestions from the Holy Spirit—and it’s called inspiration.

Jesus said in John 14:26, “The Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of what I said when I was with you” (CEV). The Holy Spirit is my teacher. The Bible also calls him my Counselor. He’s like a personal coach. 

His name is the Holy Spirit. I can constantly ask him? "What does he want me to do? What’s the next step? How can I be obedient to God?”

A paraphrase of John 14:26 says the Holy Spirit will “bring to your minds all that I have said to you” (Phillips). The Holy Spirit doesn’t speak in an audible voice. But he doesn’t need to go through your ears when he can go directly to my mind, bringing me whatever I need to know for the next step.

If the Holy Spirit works by bringing something to my mind, then there must be something already there to remind me of. That’s why I need to read the Bible. When I read and study and fill my mind with God’s Word, I am storing up truth. Then the Holy Spirit can bring it to mind at just the right time.

There will be many times when I'm under stress, dealing with a problem, or resisting a temptation—and I won’t have my Bible with me. Even if I have an app on my phone, I might not know where to look for help. But if I've hidden God’s Word in my heart, then the Holy Spirit can bring it to mind.

I don’t have to get something out of the Bible every time I read it. But with regular Bible study and Scripture memorization, I'm storing up truth in my mind that God can use later to speak to me—right when I need it most.

In Summary:

God has given me the Holy Spirit as a personal teacher, counselor, and guide to help me live faithfully and make wise decisions. Jesus promised that the Spirit would teach me and remind me of His words, speaking to my mind through thoughts and insights rather than an audible voice. But for the Holy Spirit to remind me of God’s truth, I first need to fill my mind with Scripture. By regularly reading, studying, and memorizing God’s Word, I store up truth that the Spirit can bring to mind in moments of stress, temptation, or decision. The Holy Spirit uses what’s already in my heart to guide me, comfort me, and keep me aligned with God’s will.

Bottom Line:

Stay filled with God’s Word so the Holy Spirit can guide me when I need it most. The Spirit speaks by reminding me of truth already in my heart—so the more Scripture I store within, the more clearly I'll hear His direction and walk in wisdom.

The Number One Way God Speaks to You

“Everything in the Scriptures is God’s Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (CEV)

The number one way God speaks is through his Word.

A lot of people wish God would just write in the sky what he wants them to do. But God isn’t going to write in the sky what he’s already written in his Book!

Everything I need to know God and live a life of purpose and meaning is found in his Word. If I'm not opening the Bible and reading the Bible, then God isn’t talking to me very much—and I miss out.

The Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “Everything in the Scriptures is God’s Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live” (CEV).

God gave us the Bible for four reasons: to teach us, to help us, to correct us, and to show us how to live. Notice it says “everything” and “all of it.” Everything in the Bible is God’s Word, and all of it is useful. That means it’s 100 percent reliable and 100 percent practical. I can use it for every part of my life, for the rest of my life.

Some parts of the Bible are hard to understand. Some parts I’ll have to study more than others. But it’s all there for a reason: to help me.

This is why a consistent quiet time—where I spend time with God and study the Bible every day—is so important. I can simply sit down every day for 10 minutes and give God my attention and focus. I read the Bible and listen to him speak. I talk to him in prayer. I get to know him and let him teach me, help me, correct me, and show me how to live through his Word.

Why is it so important? Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path” (GNT).

The Bible is like a flashlight for life. It’s not a high intensity beam that’s going to show me the next three years of my life. Instead, it’s going to give me enough light for my next step, and then I trust God for the rest.

That’s called walking by faith. And I learn to do it by studying God’s Word, doing what it says, and taking it one day at a time. 

In Summary:

God primarily speaks through His Word, which contains everything needed to know Him and live with purpose. According to 2 Timothy 3:16-17, all Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, helping, correcting, and guiding me in how to live. The Bible is 100% reliable and practical for every part of life, even when parts are challenging to understand. Spending daily time with God through Scripture and prayer allows Him to speak, shape, and strengthen me. His Word serves as a lamp that lights the next step, not the entire path—teaching me to walk by faith, one step at a time, trusting His guidance each day.

Bottom Line:

If I want to hear from God and walk in His purpose, stay in His Word daily. Scripture is His voice, my guide, and the steady light for each next step—teaching me to trust Him one day at a time.

Guided by Trust, The Answer to the Stress of Indecision

“He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:3 (NIV)

When I'm afraid of making the wrong decision, it creates stress in my life.

But God has an antidote to indecision. Psalm 23:3 says, “He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake” (NIV). The way to handle the stress of decision-making—whether it’s a financial decision, relational decision, or vocational decision—is to let God guide me.

“But I’ve tried this!” I asked God to guide me, but then I became more confused than ever before. I still couldn’t figure it out, and I wondered why knowing God’s will is so difficult.

Is God playing games with me? Of course not! God wants to guide me. He wants me to know his will more than I want to know. But sometimes I look for the wrong thing when I'm trying to find God’s will. We all do this.

Some of us look for a feeling. Some want a formula or recipe to follow. Others treat it like magic—waiting for God to give them a big, fantastic sign.

These ways only lead to frustration and can cause me to miss God’s will.

God doesn’t want me confused, and he doesn’t want me stressed over making a decision. He wants me to ask him for guidance before I make a decision and then trust him and his goodness once the decision is made.

When I do, he sets me free from second-guessing myself.

James 1:6-8 says, “When you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do” (NLT).

Here’s the good news: Even if the future looks uncertain, I don’t have to feel unsettled or stressed or afraid. God is stable, and I can trust his guidance. 

When I unequivocally trust God in uncertain times—in all times—he will give me everything I need to make wise decisions.

God will be there guiding me every step of the way. This is his promise, and I can believe it to be true: “He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.”

In summary:

When faced with difficult decisions, I don't have to be overwhelmed by fear or stress—God promises to guide me along the right paths, as Psalm 23:3 assures. Often, I seek guidance through feelings, formulas, or signs, but God’s will isn’t found in confusion or gimmicks; it’s discovered through faith and trust. He desires to lead me more than I desire to be led, and when I ask in faith and commit to trusting Him fully, He frees me from doubt and second-guessing. Even in uncertain times, God's guidance is steady and reliable—He will show me the right way when I rely on Him completely.

Bottom Line:

When I trust God fully, He will guide me on the right path and give me peace in every decision.

Rest for the Weary, His Yoke, My Peace

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (RSV)

The answer to any burden that is weighing me down lies in Jesus.

Jesus says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30 RSV).

To understand this passage, I needed to know what a yoke was. When Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you,” it sounds like he was going to give me something else to deal with. “My burden is heavy enough already, Lord! I don’t need to take your problems on me!” 

A yoke is actually a board with two arches in it that you put over two cattle so they can pull a cart.

The value of a yoke is that it halves the load. Without a yoke, one cow has to pull an entire load by itself. But if you yoke up the cow with another cow, then the two animals pull the load together, and the load is half as heavy.

When Jesus says to take his yoke upon you, he’s not saying he’s going to give you his problems. Jesus doesn’t have any problems! He’s saying he’s going to share my problems. He’s going to share my load. He’s going to take my stress on himself and bear it with me.

Wow!

Jesus uses three notable verbs in this Scripture: come, learn, and take. Jesus basically says, “Come to me. Team up with me. Then, learn how I do it. Take on a lighter load. This is going to reduce your stress. This is going to make life easier for you to navigate.”

When I'm yoked with Christ, I move together with him. I move in the same direction and at the same speed. And I move in the right direction and at the right speed.

In summary:

Jesus invites those who are weary and burdened to come to Him for rest, not by adding more pressure, but by offering to share their load. In Matthew 11:28–30, He uses the image of a yoke—not to burden us further, but to lighten our struggles by partnering with us, just as two animals yoked together share the weight. Rather than walking alone, Jesus calls us to team up with Him, to learn from His gentle and humble heart, and to find deep rest for our souls. By moving with Him, we find a lighter, more peaceful way of living, guided in the right direction and pace.

 

Plans with Purpose: God’s Way to True Change

“We plan the way we want to live, but only GOD makes us able to live it.” Proverbs 16:9 (MSG)

We all get to make our own plans about how we live our lives. But it’s only through God that we have the power and energy to actually make transformation happen.

The Message paraphrase of Proverbs 16:9 says, “We plan the way we want to live, but only GOD makes us able to live it.”

There are three things I need to reach my goals and change my life—and only God can provide them. 

I need God’s Spirit to empower me.
God’s Spirit can help me make changes I can’t make on my own. Change isn’t the result of willpower; it comes through God’s power. It’s not based on trying; it’s based on trusting.

Zechariah 4:6 says, “‘You will not succeed by your own strength or by your own power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD All-Powerful” (NCV).

I need God’s Word to guide me.
The Bible is the owner’s manual for life. The more I read it, study it, memorize it, and meditate on it, the more successful and fulfilled I'm going to be.

When Joshua was given the great dream of taking over the Promised Land—a goal that was going to take him the rest of his life to reach—God had these words for him: “This book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will achieve success” (Joshua 1:8 NASB).

I need God’s people to support me.
I will not be able to reach my goals on my own. It takes a team to fulfill a dream!

A crowd can’t support me, but a small group can. They know when I'm sick, when I'm having a tough time, and when I need a break. I can share my goals and my successes and failures, and they will rejoice with me and encourage me to keep going. I'm going to need that kind of support as I make the right kind of goals and pursue them wholeheartedly.

In the Message paraphrase, Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, “By yourself you’re unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped.”

I can make plans and set goals—but only God can give me the strength, direction, and support I need to live the life he’s called me to.

In summary: 

True and lasting transformation requires more than good intentions or personal effort—it needs God’s involvement. Proverbs 16:9 reminds me that while I can make plans for my life, only God gives me the ability to live them out. To reach my goals and experience real change, I need three essential things from God: His Spirit to empower me beyond my own strength, His Word to guide me with truth and direction, and His people to support me with encouragement and accountability. On my own, I’ll fall short, but with God’s power, guidance, and a spiritual community, I can walk the path He has planned for me and fulfill His purpose for my life.

Trusting God to Guide My Decisions

“He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:3 (NIV)

When I'm afraid of making the wrong decision, it creates stress in my life.

But God has an antidote to indecision. Psalm 23:3 says, “He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake” (NIV). The way to handle the stress of decision-making is to let God guide me.

There have been sometimes that I’ve tried this. I've asked God to guide me, but then I became more confused than ever before. I still couldn’t figure it out, and I wondered why knowing God’s will is so difficult.

Is God playing games with me? What I'm learning is he is not! God wants to guide me. He wants me to know his will more than I want to know. But sometimes I look for the wrong thing when I'm trying to find God’s will. We all do this. 

At times I look for a feeling or a formula or recipe to follow. There are times when I'd like a magical approach and look for God to show me some type of fantastic sign.

But these ways only lead to frustration and can cause me to miss God’s will.

God doesn’t want me confused, and he doesn’t want me stressed over making a decision. He wants me to ask him for guidance before I make a decision and then trust him and his goodness once the decision is made.

When I do, he sets me free from second-guessing myself.

James 1:6-8 says, “When you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do” (NLT).

Here’s the good news: Even if the future looks uncertain, I don’t have to feel unsettled or stressed or afraid. God is stable, and I can trust his guidance. 

When I unequivocally trust God in uncertain times—in all times—he will give me everything I need to make wise decisions.

God will be there guiding me every step of the way. This is his promise, and I can believe it to be true: “He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.”

In summary:

When I’m faced with decisions, fear of choosing the wrong path can lead to stress and confusion. Psalm 23:3 reminds me that God offers clear guidance along the right paths—not for my comfort alone, but for his name’s sake. Often, I seek a feeling, a formula, or even a miraculous sign to discern God’s will, which only leads to more frustration. But God isn’t playing games; he genuinely wants to guide me. The issue isn’t his silence—it’s often that I’m looking for answers in the wrong places.

God’s direction doesn’t come through confusion but through trust. He invites me to ask for guidance and then believe in his goodness. When I put full faith in him, he frees me from the burden of second-guessing. As James 1:6-8 explains, divided loyalty leads to instability. But when I trust God fully—even when the future is uncertain—he provides the wisdom I need. God is stable, faithful, and always guiding. His promise is clear: he will lead me on the right path when I trust him.

Take the Fear out of Decision-Making

“He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:3 (NIV) Myself, like most, often fear making the wrong decision, and that creates stress. Facing a decision: Should I hold on or let go? Should I get in or get out? Should I find a new job? Should I move? When I can’t make up my mind, I stagger through life. In fact, the Bible says in James 1:6-8 that when I'm double-minded, I become unstable in everything I do. The Greek word for unstable literally means “to stagger like a drunk.” But God says there is an antidote to my indecision. Psalm 23:3 says, “He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake” (NIV). I'll be able to handle the stress of decision-making when I let God guide me. However, I think, “I’ve tried this!” Asking God to guide me, but then I became more confused than I was before. I still couldn’t figure it out. “Why is knowing God’s will so difficult?” Is God playing games with me? Of course not! God wants to guide me. He wants me to know his will more than I want to know it. The problem is I often look for the wrong thing when I'm trying to find God’s will. I'm looking for a feeling. I want to be swept off my feet by some emotion so I can say, “That’s how I know what God’s will is!” I may want a methodical approach to God’s will. I want someone to give me a recipe or a formula to follow. Or perhaps I take a magical approach to God’s will. I'm looking for God to do some fantastic signs like writing it in the sky. All of these ways lead to frustration and cause me to miss God’s will. God’s will is not a feeling, a formula, or something he wants me to be frustrated or fearful about. God does not want me confused, and he does not want me to stress over making any decision. The next time I'm making a big decision, rest in the truth that God will guide me along the right paths—every step of the way. In summary: God guides me along the right paths and provides stability when making decisions. Often, fear and indecision create stress, causing me to feel unstable and confused. However, Psalm 23:3 assures me that God will guide me, even when I feel uncertain. The frustration of seeking God's will stems from looking for feelings, formulas, or signs, but God's guidance isn’t about emotions or magical signs. Instead, it’s about trusting that He will lead me, relieving me of the stress and confusion of decision-making.

Six Steps for Wise Decision-Making

In Proverbs 28:26 I read, “A man is a fool to trust himself! But those who use God’s wisdom are safe.”

(TLB)

I’ve started looking at how God takes me through the Six Phases of Faith—a dream, decision, delay, difficulty, dead end, and deliverance, over and over again, to help grow my faith and to develop my character.

The second phase God uses to grow my faith is when I decide to follow the dream I believe God has given me. Nothing will happen with my dream until I move forward in faith!

God gave Moses the dream of leading the children of Israel out of 400 years of slavery—but Moses had to make the decision to confront Pharaoh. 

God gave Noah the dream of saving the world from the flood—but Noah had to make the decision to build the ark. 

God gave Abraham the dream of building a new nation—but Abraham had to make the decision to leave everything and go out into the unknown.

Just like these people in the Bible, I’ll never realize God’s dream for my life until I come to the stage of decision-making and choose to step out in faith.

There is a simple, workable plan for making wise decisions that will keep me on track in pursuing God’s dream for my life. 

1. Pray for guidance.

Before I do anything else, get God’s perspective on the issue. “A man is a fool to trust himself! But those who use God’s wisdom are safe” (Proverbs 28:26 TLB).

2. Get the facts.

There is no contradiction between faith and fact. Find out everything I can before I make a decision. Proverbs 13:16 says, “All who are prudent act with knowledge” (NIV). 

3. Ask for advice.

Talk to somebody who’s made a similar decision and to friends who know my weaknesses. “The more good advice you get, the more likely you are to win” (Proverbs 24:6 GNT).

4. Calculate the cost.

Every decision has a price tag; it may cost me time, money, energy, reputation, talents, or resources. Proverbs 20:25 says, “It is a trap to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider one’s vows” (NIV). When others pressure me to make a decision, it’s okay to say, “I’ll get back to you.” It’s more important to make a wise decision than a quick one. 

5. Prepare for problems.

In faith, expect the best. Expect that God is working in my life. But also prepare for the problems that are part of every decision. Solomon said in Proverbs 22:3, “A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences” (TLB).

6. Face your fears.

Perfectionism paralyzes potential. God has always used imperfect people in imperfect situations to accomplish his will. Ecclesiastes 11:4 says, “If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done” (TLB). In spite of my problems, doubts, or fears, trust God and start moving in the direction of my dream.

In the past I have reached out to God for direction on big decisions, however, recently I may not have been doing the same. I need to get back into that practice. I also need to consider that there is a difference to just taking a leap of faith vs. taking biblical steps. 

Out of the six listed above, I need to get back into the practice of praying for guidance and asking for advice. On this last one, I think it’s directly related to not really having a close group of friends who can provide me feedback on my weaknesses.   

Father, I ask you today for help in trusting you in every step of my faith journey.

 

Find God’s Light in God’s Word

In Isaiah 50:10 I read, “For anyone out there who doesn't know where you're going, anyone groping in the dark, here's what: Trust in GOD. Lean on your God!” (The Message)

On dark days, I need the light of Jesus. On days when I can’t see the way forward, when I’m confused or undecided, when I don’t know what’s best, when I can’t figure out what to do next, I need his light.

When confused, well-meaning people will tell you, “Trust yourself. Just follow your instincts!” But anybody who’s tried that knows, at best, you’re right only about 50 percent of the time.

My perspective is limited. My light is weak. It’s like using one of those tiny pen lights that fit on a key-chain, they don’t really illuminate anything. And as a result of relying only on myself, I’ve probably had difficulty making good decisions.

Instead, here’s what the Bible says to do: “For anyone out there who doesn’t know where you’re going, anyone groping in the dark, here’s what: Trust in GOD. Lean on your God!” (Isaiah 50:10 The Message)

Don’t count on my own light. Trust the light of the Lord.

If I want to have God’s perspective and viewpoint on my problems, then I need to get into the Bible. I need to read and study and saturate my mind and heart with it, because God’s will is always found in God’s Word.

It’s amazing how many people are waiting around for God to give them a sign instead of just reading the directions that he’s already given them. If I want to stay on the right path, then I’ve got to get into the Bible.

God promises to guide me if I’ll let him. He says, “I’ll take the hand of those who don’t know the way, who can’t see where they’re going. I’ll be a personal guide to them, directing them through unknown countries. I’ll be right there to show them what roads to take, make sure they don’t fall into the ditch. These are the things I’ll be doing for them—sticking with them, not leaving them for a minute” (Isaiah 42:16 The Message).

Let God be my personal guide. I’ll never have to stumble around in the dark if I let the light of his Word light up my life.

In summary, if I don’t know where I’m going, and I’m alone groping in the dark, trust and lean on God! On dark days, I need the light of Jesus. On days when I can’t see the way forward, when I’m confused or undecided, when I don’t know what’s best, when I can’t figure out what to do next, I need his light. When confused, well-meaning people will tell you, “Trust yourself. Just follow your instincts!” However my perspective is limited and my light is weak. Here’s what the Bible says to do: Don’t count on my own light. Trust the light of the Lord. If I want to have God’s perspective and viewpoint on my problems, then I need to get into the Bible. Read and study and saturate my mind and heart with it, because God’s will is always found in God’s Word. How many people are waiting around for God to give them a sign instead of just reading the directions that he’s already given them. To stay on the right path, get into the Bible. God promises to guide me if I’ll let him. So let God be my personal guide. I’ll never have to stumble around if I let the light of his Word light up my life.

If I walk by my own light and reject God's, I become self-sufficient, and the result of self-sufficiency is sorrow and torment. When I place confidence in my own intelligence, appearance, or accomplishments instead of in God, I risk torment later when these strengths fade.