Question 1

How can I be sure God will guide me?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 32:8The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”Psalm 37:23-24The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.Luke 12:6-7“What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.”When we are anxious or concerned, what we most often need is simply the assurance that God does indeed care about us and is watching over us. If God values the common little things of his creation, how much more must he value us, for whom he gave his own precious Son.Jeremiah 29:11“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”God is always seeking what is best for us. Just like the nation of Israel, though, at times we may delay God’s good for us through our own disobedience. But when we return to God, he is always ready to direct us back to his good path.Philippians 1:6I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.James 1:12God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.When we face challenges and obstacles, that doesn’t mean God has left us. God has promised to guide us through this life as we seek to become more like him. In fact, those challenges may be one way he is growing us toward spiritual maturity and strength.John 16:33“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”Romans 8:28We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.Jesus promises that we will have troubles in this world—but he also promises that we will join him in his victory over death, sin, and suffering. Rather than being discouraged or fearful when bad things happen, we can have peace knowing that every wrong will be made right in the end.

Question 2

How can I experience God’s guidance?

Accepted Answer

Numbers 9:17Whenever the cloud lifted from over the sacred tent, the people of Israel would break camp and follow it. And wherever the cloud settled, the people of Israel would set up camp.Proverbs 3:5-6Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.The first step in guidance is knowing where to put our trust. Travelers rely on an accurate map or GPS when they don’t know where they are going. A critically ill person relies on the medical expert who knows the proper treatment. In the same way, believers realize our own spiritual limitations and rely on God’s Word, life’s instruction manual, in matters of faith. We do not understand all the complexities of life, but the Lord does. We can trust him to guide us to find and recognize what is true.Matthew 7:7-11“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.”God invites us to pray—to go directly to him—so that we will know him more fully as our loving Father and understand ourselves more clearly as well. Even as a parent gives more and more responsibility to a child as he or she grows, so the Lord expects us to take responsibility for seeking and following his direction.

Question 3

If God’s will is going to happen anyway, why do I need guidance?

Accepted Answer

Exodus 14:15Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving!”Psalm 73:24You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.Proverbs 3:6Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.We are not irrelevant; our choices make a difference. Our choices impact whether we will be participating in God’s will or not. God’s work will get done, if not by us then by someone else. If we want to participate in fulfilling God’s will, we cannot sit around waiting for him to write a message on the wall. We should seek his guidance first and then make a decision to move ahead. If our choices always involve asking God for guidance, they will usually be in line with his will, and we will be involved in his work.

Question 4

I have some big decisions to make; how will God guide me?

Accepted Answer

Judges 6:36-37Then Gideon said to God, “If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised, prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised.”James 1:5If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.Gideon had to decide if he believed God’s promise of victory—so he put out a fleece and asked God to make a miracle happen. God complied, but this is not the way to make big decisions. Today the greatest means of God’s guidance is his Word, the Bible. Unlike Gideon, we have God’s complete, revealed Word. If we want to have more of God’s guidance, we shouldn’t ask for signs. Instead, we should study the Bible and ask God’s Holy Spirit to point us in the right direction. God won’t try to make his will a puzzle to us; he just wants us to listen for his guidance and then move ahead when he shows us.

Question 5

Will God tell me what he wants me to do for the rest of my life?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 32:8The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”Psalm 119:105Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.Psalm 138:8The Lord will work out his plans for my life—for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me.Proverbs 3:5Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.If we could see our future, we would either be scared of the hard times ahead or get cocky about our accomplishments. God’s guidance is less like a searchlight that brightens a huge area and more like a flashlight that illuminates just enough of the path ahead to show us where to take the next few steps. God has definite plans for us. We should never doubt that. But he usually doesn’t reveal them all at once. He wants us to learn to trust him each step of the way.

Guidance