THE PROMISE OF GUIDANCE
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
A poll of 5,000 people was conducted on the question, "what topic would you like to hear your Pastor preach?" The number one answer was Bible Prophecy, and the number two answer was how to find God’s will for my life.
There are many examples of God’s guidance to his people in the Bible. There is the example of how God guided his people in the wilderness by the cloud by day, and by the pillar of fire by night.
God still guides his people today such as by his Word.
Woodrow wilson once said, "There are a good many problems before the American people today, and before me as President, but I expect to find the solution of those problems just in the proportion that I am faithful in the study of the Word of God."
"I ask every man and woman... that from this day on they will realize that part of the destiny of America lies in their daily perusal of this great book 1
One of the greatest promises on God’s guidance for his people is found in Proverbs 3:5-6. Let us consider three things about this great promise.
I-CONSIDER THE PROMISE OF DIVINE GUIDANCE: v-5
A-Notice The Source Of This Promise: v-5 "Trust in the Lord"
1)God is the source of divine guidance, not man.
2)For God says, "lean not unto thine own understanding".
3)The Ladies Home Journal (Sept, 1981) asked, "In whom do you trust?" Responses were, Walter Cronkite 40% of the vote
Pope John Paul 26%
Billy Graham 6%
God 3%
3)We have some very smart people upon this planet earth, but none equal to our almighty God.
4)Joke-There was a man with a sick mule. He asked his Uncle Joe, didn’t you give turpentine to your sick mule? He replied, I sure did. Later the man mule died, and he told his Uncle Joe that his mule had died when he gave him the turpentine. Uncle Joe replied, yep, it killed mine too.
5)This story shows that you can’t believe everything you hear, for some guidance is unreliable.
6)It is important who gives you advice. What kind of person are they? My wife was going to a Doctor when she was pregnant with our first child. He told her she gained too much weigh, that she was too big. But his recommendation didn’t carry much weigh with her, for, he , himself weighed over 300 pounds.
7)But God can give us guidance and direction because of who He is, and of the fact that He created us.
B-Notice The Seekers Of This Promise: v-1 "my Son"
1)Who is the writer talking about, when he says trust in the Lord? He is talking about God’s people.
2)A boy was at church singing the song, "Rise up, O men of God" but he got confused and sang, "Wise up, O men of God".
3)He might have been confused but he was right about one thing, Christian do need to wise up and trust the guidance of God.
4)We need the guidance of God because we are ignorance of the future, we are like Columbus of old, we are sailing unknown seas.
II-CONSIDER THE PRICE OF DIVINE GUIDANCE:
A-A Faith is Involved In His Guidance: v-5 "Trust in the Lord"
1)Have you ever wondered what the middle verse of the Bible is? Psalms 118:9 [It is] better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.
2)Bernie May of Wycliffe Bible Translators wrote, "As an airplane pilot, from the first time I sat in the beginner’s seat beside my instructor I was taught to ’trust’ my instruments. ’Your instincts will fool you,’ my instructor rightly told me. ’You must learn that even though you may feel you are flying south, if your compass says you are flying east, you’d better believe it.’
Often when a plane is surrounded by swirling mist and being buffeted by strong winds, you may feel you are in a dive and be tempted to pull back on the controls. But if your instruments say you are flying level - or even climbing - you’d better believe them. To pull back on the controls might put you into a steep climb, which would cause the plane to stall, drop off in a spin, and leave you out of control."
Just as a pilot must learn to trust his instruments, we must learn to trust God. 2
B-A Fear Is Involved In His Guidance: v-7 "fear the Lord"
1) Mysophobia is fear of "dirt."
Hydrophobia is fear of "water."
Nyclophobia is the fear of "darkness."
Acrophobia is fear of "high places."
Taxophobia is fear of being "buried alive."
Xenophobia is fear of "strangers."
Necrophobia is fear of the "dead."
Claustrophobia is fear of "confined places."
Triskaidekaphobia is fear of the "number 13."
Unfortunately, many people who have learned to fear things that they probably shouldn’t have never learned the fear of the God. Too few who have acrophobia have learned to fear God and to keep his commandments. 3
2)When a person has the fear of God upon their lives, that person will be a surrended person to God.
3)We can’t live half-way for God and expect his blessing upon our lives.
4)I heard about an ad in a local newspaper which was placed on the back page. It was blank except for a little statement in the corner which said, "Is this where you are putting God in your life?".
C-A Fleeing Is Involved In The Guidance Of God: v-7 "and depart from evil"
1)Why did He put this promise about God’s guidance here? Because if a person doesn’t forsake their sin , it will drive a wedge between them and God.
2)It breaks one’s fellowship with God and causes Him to have a deaf ear to his prayers.
3)Hosea 5:6 They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find [him]; he hath withdrawn himself from them.
4)Recently a young man underwent surgery to remove the pericardium, a paper-thin lining around his heart, because his had enlarged to about three-fourths of an inch thick, restricting the function of his heart muscle. The doctors said that when they slit the pericardium, the heart immediately began to function about twice as fast as it had been working.
As with an enlarged pericardium, sin cuts down on our spiritual functioning, thus making us spiritually ill. We need to let the Lord remove the sin that restricts us from functioning on a 100 percent basis for our Lord. 4
III-CONSIDER THE PROCEDURE OF DIVINE GUIDANCE: V-6
(How does God give us this divine guidance?)
A-God Guides Us Through The Scriptures:
Psalms 119:105 . Your word [is] a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
1) The Bible is not in a class. It constitutes a class by itself. (Emile Cailliet).
What the brush is to the artist in painting a picture, what the hammer is to the carpenter in driving a nail, what water is to the laundress in washing clothes, so the Bible is to God in saving souls. (Donald Grey Barnhouse).
Why will people go astray when they have this blessed Book to guide them? (Michael Faraday).
The Bible -- has had more written about it -- than has been written about the twenty greatest classics of world literature combined. (Wilbur Smith).
2 Unfortunately many American homes, yes even so-called Christian homes, are like the one in which the little girl pointed to the Bible on the mantle that was never opened, and said to her mother, "Whose book is that?" Her mother quite startled by her daughters question replied, "Why honey, don’t you know? That is God’s book!" The child demonstrating that she had a very practical turn to her mind said, "Don’t you think that we had better give it back to him? No one around here ever reads it." 5
B-God Guides Us Through The Spirit:
Acts 8:29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
1)Evangelist Paul Rader had many a talk with a banker in New York. The banker would reply that he was too busy for religion. Time passed and the banker, seriously overworked, was sent to a sanatorium for complete rest. One day God by His Spirit spoke to Paul Rader; the message was clear: "Go and speak to ..." Rader obeyed, catching a train and going with all speed to the sumptuous sanatorium.
Arriving at the facility, Rader saw the banker standing in the doorway. "Oh, Rader," said the banker, "I am so glad to see you." "I received your telegram," said Rader. "That’s impossible," said the banker. "I wrote a telegram begging you to come, but I tore it up. I didn’t sent it." "That may be," said Rader, "but your message come by way of Heaven."
Paul Rader found his friend under deep conviction of sin and he pointed him to Christ as a perfect Saviour. That man accepted Christ and his heart was filled with joy. "Rader," he said, "did you ever see the sky so blue or the grass so green?" Rader replied, "Sometimes we sing" ’Heaven above is softer blue, Earth around is sweeter green; Something lives in every hue Christless eyes have never seen.’" Suddenly the banker leaned against Paul Rader and fell into his arms, dead. 6
C-God Guides Us Through His Saints:
Acts 9:17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, [even] Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
1)Dr. Stephen Oldford was raised in Africa, the son of missionary parents. He was a brilliant boy, and he decided he wanted to pursue a course in engineering. He went away to one of the finest schools in all of the world where he received the equivalent of straight As. His plan was to become successful, to have leisure, to accumulate the nice things money could buy, and with his wealth he could help the missionaries and the Word of God on the side. It seemed like a splendid plan to him, but unfortunately it was one he worked out in his own mind.
It was all set, but then he became deathly sick. He went to the doctor and was put to bed. The doctor gravely intoned, young man, in two weeks you will be dead.
Stephen’s life caved in around him. But a letter came from his missionary father who had no way of knowing his son’s condition because of the time lag in the mail delivery from overseas. In that letter his dad wrote those touching words you and I have heard so many times: Only one life, ‘Twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.
In the stillness of that room God broke through. Stephen bowed his head, and prayed a brief prayer, "Anywhere, anytime, any cost. Amen." Of course, he later became a great preacher of the gospel.
Conclusion: He does not lead me year by year,
Nor even day by day; But step by step my path unfolds,
My Lord directs my way.
Tomorrow’s plans I do not know; I only know this minute. But he will say, "This is the way, By faith now walk ye in it." And I am glad that it is so,
Today’s enough to bear; And when tomorrow comes, his grace Shall far exceed its care.
What need to worry then, or fret? The God who gave his Son Holds all my moments in his hand And gives them one by one.
1.Bible Illustrator
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3.Illustration Index
4.Bible Illustrator
5.Fresh Illustrations-Fickett
6.Robert G. Lee Sermon Library
