Day 110: Sources of Guidance

Reading: Psalm 48:11-14

In this Psalm, we read a promise that God will guide us forever. This is a pretty encouraging promise, especially when the paths of life can seem overwhelming and indecisive. We need to take initiative sometimes and get that guidance however. In this reading, it talks about meditating in the temple, or worshiping in church. Sometimes we need to be surrounded by others who are walking alongside God as well to help us make decisions. God places the church in our lives to spread the missions and carry out His work, but He also places it there for us to seek accountability and advice from other believers. A community of people who stove to stay on the path God has carved out for them is a tangible place to go when you're seeking Godly counsel. 

I loved working at a Bible camp in the summers because I always surrounded by that community. We would attend chapel services twice a day, as well as engage in staff devotions each morning, and we formed relationships with other strong believers that carried beyond my summers on staff. We always had a fellow staff member to turn to who was on the same journey. Seeking advice from them was always reassuring and full of God's Word. Seek guidance from Godly people.

Reading: Luke 19:45-20:26

We are also guided by God's Word, as we've seen Jesus apply it many times throughout the New Testament. In this case, we see Him react to the sales in His Father's house by turning over the tables and stating that the Scriptures say that "My temple will be a house of prayer." By the Scriptures declaring this, Jesus has this backing from His Father, though He is God as well. This is an example to us, however, showing us how God's Word helps us decipher right and wrong as we encounter different situations in life. 

We also see how the Holy Spirit serves as guidance to Jesus in this reading. The answers Jesus has for the religious leaders when His authority is challenged as well as when they ask Him about the taxes is so clever, that you could only imagine the Holy Spirit sending that guidance. When we are stuck for an answer or direction, we can rest assured that the Holy Spirit is there for all who follow Christ. Though at times it can feel so intangible and hard to feel Him, those promptings and words still come at the perfect times. 

We also read here that even though we have guidance from God in different ways, we will still face hardships and struggles. Jesus is constantly challenged by the religious leaders and faces crucifixion, though He is God's Son. We are guaranteed struggles in this life, though we have the guidance. Jesus lays this out in His parable about the evil farmers, as He really makes the religious leaders uncomfortable. 

We can guarantee struggles as we walk our paths, but we can also count on guidance when the time is right.

Reading: Deuteronomy 31:30-31:52

Guidance sometimes comes from past circumstances we have been through. Sometimes we fall into sin and once we climb out of it with God's help, we look back at it and realize how stupid we may have been, and how we would never want to be in that situation again. Though sin and hardships are tough, we can definitely grow and learn from them, as well as help others learn from our mistakes and hardships. Take this dark places in your life, as the Israelites had to do, and learn from them. Don't find yourself falling back into those things and situations. Moses has to remind his people of this, and we need to be reminded as well.

We also see how the people used plain old common, sense to guide them. Sometimes common sense is formed by past circumstances, as we read about above, but many times we can have the mind to see ahead of a decision and know that the outcome probably won't be that great. Moses tells his people to take wisdom, and to have sense when they face those decisions. We, too, and learn from these words and be empowered by them.

When we are scrambling for Godly guidance, we can turn to many places which God provides for us. The people of church who carry Godly advice is a good tool for us to use, as well as the Bible. We can also wait on prompting from the Holy Spirit and on God's timing. We also read that we can take our past sin and hardships and apply them to future decisions, and use good, ol'fashioned common sense. Remember, though we have many amazing resources for guidance in life, there will still be hardships and struggles. You have these this to turn to in those times, though.