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."