God Guides Your Tomorrows

God Guides your Tomorrows

- God has a Plan for Your Life-

Proverbs 3:5-6

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight (or will direct your paths)."

How does a person find God’s will? Random sampling: "Inner peace on making decisions," "Through Scripture find specific answers to guidance," "No a simple answer. As you live and walk with the Lord you look for open doors and not force open closed doors." "Follow the desires of your heart and allow God to open the doors for you to do His will." "Pray, search the Scripture and ask spiritual leaders for their counsel." "Pray and ask God to show you His will."

Last Sunday we went walking on the Highway of Holiness. Today we are going sailing. In many ways finding God’s guidance is like sailing a ship.

Several years ago Carollyn and I went sailing with a friend on a sail boat that was approximately 42 feet long and had a cabin that slept 8 people. Our friend, Rev. Gary Ennis, was Pastor of Counseling at our FMC in Garden Grove. He was a captain and trained people to get their navigation and sailing license. We got on board the sail boat, he started the motor and he used the motor to get us away from the dock. Then we sent up the sails and went sailing. For a short time I took a turn at the wheel and found that the boat went fastest not with the wind but at an angle to the wind.

Proverbs 3:5-6 are classic verses promising the Christian that God does guide.

I. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. "Get on Board"

Before you can go sailing you have to get on board the sailboat. You have to trust that the boat won’t sink and your captain is a good sailor.

Getting on board is an act of faith. If you want to find God’s will you first have to put your trust in God. In your heart you have to answer the question. "Is God trustworthy?" Are you willing to let God guide your life.

In the Old Testament we have an example of a man and family of faith. God told Noah to build a huge boat large enough to hold a zoo full of animals. Noah had faith. He was obedient and began building a boat - Ark on dry land. There was no large body of water for miles. Noah was preparing for a flood. Noah and his family were laughed at by all in the community. Noah trusted God and build faith. God brought the animals to the Ark and when the time came, 120 years later, God told Noah and his family to get in the Ark, and then God shut the door.

Noah was in the will of God because when God called him to a task Noah was faithful in completing the task. Noah practiced the definition of faith given in Hebrews 11:1 "Being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see."

A student pilot was taking his first solo flight. He thought he had done pretty well during the flying lessons, but now he was up there on his own. All had been going just fine until he came to the place to land the plane. He found the designated runway. His teacher was on the radio on the ground instructing him. He nosed the plane down rather sharply toward the runway. The he heard the instructor saying over the radio: "Correct your attitude."

The student pilot thinks: "My attitude? What’s wrong with my attitude? My attitude is just fine." The voice comes more urgently, "correct your attitude." "What’s wrong with my instructor there’s nothing wrong whatsoever with my" …..CRASH!

Two weeks later he woke up on the hospital, his instructor was there. He had the flight manual opened and a definition underlined: "Attitude. The plane’s inclination toward the earth."

What is your attitude? Is Your attitude to go up to God by faith and trust Him? The proper attitude is having trust - "I’m going God way regardless of what other do." Joshua had that commitment when he was surrounded by pagan beliefs. He said: "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15

Get in the sailboat - Trust God with Your Life. God is trustworthy.

II. Acknowledge the Lord and Lean not on your own Understanding.

In the sailing analogy this is setting the sail. Acknowledging the Lord is surrendering to God’s will and starting on the journey. It is putting your faith into action.

The wind for the committed Christian is open doors of opportunity.