Inside Info on the Road Ahead
Text: Isaiah 48:17
Decisions! Life is full from early age until death with decision making. Every part of life is filled with having to make decisions. Some are small and some are huge. All of them make a definite impact upon our present and our future as well as impacting our family, friends, fellow-workers, people at church, people at school, and on it goes.
We are not an island unto ourselves. The choices we make affect other people! The key is to make the right decision, and that is easier said than done! All of us have experienced that.
One of my prized possessions is my "TOM TOM" GPS (global Positioning Satellite) system for my car. It can help you with about everything related to getting from point A to point Z. The GPS is able to help us find the best way because it's got information we don't have. It's got the big picture; it knows where the slowdowns are.
I have great news. You have someone like that for the choices in your life that are much bigger than just today's travel, where a wrong choice costs you a lot more than just a few extra minutes in a traffic jam.
God really wants you to pick the right road - the road that lines up with His great plans for you. And He can see what's on all the roads out there. He can see which one is best, and He wants to let you know.
Isaiah 48:17, "This is what the Lord says - your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. 'I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.'"
Every day you have to decide which way to go in raising your son or daughter, in your personal finances, in your business, in your love life, your ministry, or your relationships. And one of the great benefits of belonging to Jesus Christ is that you don't have to figure it out based only on the limited perspective you have! The One who can see it all is committed to teach you what is best for you, not just what is good for you, and He's committed to direct you in the way you should go.
You may very well have some "which way?" decisions you're facing right now. Claim the promise! Pray that promise back to God. It's Isaiah 48:17. The Bible is full of promises like this!
In order to be able to hear God's leading, here are a few practical steps to take:
1. Don't head into any day without really praying over it and praying through it. God's guidance comes in days, so go over each day with Him early on.
2. Open your Bible with a seeking heart, asking God to show you in these verses a way that He wants you to be thinking today. Keep a journal of what He says.
3. Pay most attention to what you feel most consistently while you are praying when there is no other voice but God's influencing you.
4. Make sure you have opened yourself up to anything God wants. God writes His leading on your blank piece of paper, not on a contract you've filled out for God to sign.
Remember, the real issue here is getting closer to your Heavenly Father. He uses our "which way?" struggles to draw us into a deeper dependency on Him. Showing us the plan is the easy part; getting us to trust Him is the hard part.
As you look ahead to your journey, make sure you are tuned to the frequency where the guidance is, to your Father in heaven Who sees it all and has all the inside information on the road ahead.
