Six Helpful Truths to Remember When You Seek God’s Wisdom and Guidance
We’ve been discussing various elements of our relationship with God this month. We began by looking at the idea that God is our friend. Last week, we examined the concept that God is to be our authority because He is the Sovereign Lord. Many of us struggle to comprehend the intricacies of our relationship with God. However, God is always faithful and good.
In His goodness, God is also our counselor and guide. He is the one who teaches us how to best follow Him and live the Good Life of His Kingdom. Throughout God’s story in the Bible, we learn the different ways God led His people to know Him and serve Him, thereby experiencing the life they were created to live.
Skewed Expectations
Too often, when we consider God to be our counselor and guide, we come with skewed expectations. For example, we believe He will come to our aid like the police or ambulance. We don’t necessarily need to maintain an intimate relationship with Him; we just need to know His phone number.
Some of us view God like Google. When we encounter a situation where we are unsure of how to proceed, we believe we can say a quick prayer and an answer will quickly follow. “Hey God, how do I love my neighbor when she backs into my car and totals it?” or “Hey God, what is the best way to be generous and help others when you can’t even pay your bills?”
Furthermore, we tend to believe God should bless us with a predetermined map of how to manage upcoming difficulties. Is your child making poor decisions? Please follow child map 1356. Are you wondering if you should change jobs? Consider evaluating maps 395A and 395B.
God will Counsel and Guide Us
As I spent time examining God’s Word, I discovered six truths we must remember when we think of God as our counselor and guide. God will lead us; however, we must intentionally invest in our friendship with Him. In addition, we must always keep in mind He is the Sovereign Lord and not an answer source just to be used.
1. Invest in Covenant Relationship with God
The Lord leads us when we invest in our covenant relationship with Him. John 14:15-17 says, “If you love me, you will keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you.” (CSB)
We must be committed to our relationship with God. God gives commands, and we express our love to Him through obedience. God. in His goodness and generous grace, blesses us with His Spirit who is always with us. We choose to spend time getting to know Him intimately and what He deems significant. Then the Spirit enables us to understand God more. We submit to His leadership and align our lives with what we learn.
2. God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit always agree
The Holy Spirit always aligns His instructions with Christ and God, the Father. We can rest assured that however the Holy Spirit leads, He will direct us to honor the Sovereignty and authority of God. John 16:13 states, “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears…” (CSB)
We must check the instructions we believe we hear to confirm we are listening appropriately. We can ask ourselves a series of questions. Does this instruction align with the rest of scripture? Does this instruction fit with what Jesus would say or do? If I follow through on this instruction, will I draw closer to God? Do I honor the value of others and build the Kingdom of God when I obey this instruction?
3. God is aware of our human limitations
We can rest assured God knows what we can manage. I find great comfort in Jesus’ words in John 16. “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now.” (John 16:12, CSB) In addition I find greater comfort when I combine those words with truth from Genesis 2:19.
In Genesis 2, God gave Adam the task of naming the animals. However, God didn’t assign the task and leave. Instead, He brought each animal and bird to Adam “to see what he would call it.” God remained with Adam and assisted him with the task He gave Adam.
God does not set us up to fail. Furthermore, He is always willing to work along side us and help us.
4. God is Omniscient
God’s wisdom is always beyond whatever wisdom we may hold. Paul states in his letter to the Romans, “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! For who can know the LORD’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give Him advice?” (Romans 11:33-34, NLT)
We can always trust God’s counsel to be the best. However, we must also remember that God’s counsel will always align with the values and purpose of His Kingdom, and not that of this world. For instance, God will guide us to live into His presence, not to necessarily build a comfortable life on easy street.
5. God teaches us what is best for us
God counsels and leads us in ways that are for our benefit. “This is what the LORD says – your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: ‘I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow.’” Isaiah 48:17, NLT
God’s definition of good is always what is best for us. We may prefer He led us in a different way. We might wish He would counsel us differently. However, God continually works to build our relationship with Him.
In the process of our move to Missouri, I wanted God to choose a different timeline. I prayed for the events to line up in a more ideal fashion. God’s Spirit counseled me to see His goodness toward me and remember that I was never alone. He led me to a deeper, moment-to-moment dependence on His presence.
6. Following God’s counsel doesn’t mean life will be easy
The truth of life is we won’t avoid hardship. In Psalm 23, David begins with declaring the Lord is his shepherd and he has all he needs. David speaks of God providing rest, renewing his strength, and guiding him. However, David also talks about walking through dark valleys and being surrounded by his enemies. God gave excellent counsel and guidance, AND David still experienced hardship and difficulties.
God promises us His Good Life. He doesn’t promise us wealth, comfort, nor a life without pain. When sin entered the world, man lost God’s ideal life. We must realize the journey back to Eden is not an easy road.
God is Committed
God is always for us. He is committed to upholding His covenant. Allow me to state again what I said at the beginning: Throughout God’s story in the Bible, we learn the different ways God led His people to know Him and serve Him, thereby experiencing the life they were created to live.
Nehemiah reminded the people of his day about God’s faithfulness in the wilderness even though they made an idol and declared it to be the god who rescued them from Egypt. “But in your great mercy you did not abandon them to die in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud still led them forward by day, and the pillar of fire showed them the way through the night. You sent our good Spirit to instruct them, and you did not stop giving them manna from heaven or water for their thirst.” (Nehemiah 9:19-20, NLT)
God wants to guide us and counsel us, even when we fail Him. We must study God’s Word and know Him better. We must be committed to Him and our relationship with Him, viewing Him as both our faithful friend and our Sovereign Lord. In addition, we must trust His wisdom because He knows what is best for us at all times.
When we seek God, His wisdom and counsel, we deepen our roots in Him. We learn the necessary lesson of dependence. God strengthens our faith, which enriches our friendship and our understanding of His authority in our life. God blesses us with His Good Life.
Street Sign Photo by Matheus Frazão on Unsplash
