Encouraging Truths for Senior Living: God Leads, We Follow
Dan Jackson, Atherton Resident since 2016
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he shall make your paths straight.
Questions for reflection and application:
- Am I confident that God will lead me as I trust Him to do so?
- Do I sense God’s leading in my circumstances today ?
Thought for today:
God’s promise to make our paths straight as we trust in Him is a sure commitment that He will lead us in every circumstance, even the most stressful in life. There are several ways that He leads:
1. God Leads Through his Word: This is our primary resource when seeking direction from the Lord because God’s will is revealed in His Word. Through obeying the precepts and principles of the Bible, God directs us in the right paths. Lights turn on in our brains about decisions we need to make. Psalm 119:105: “Oh that my ways may be established to keep Your statutes!” God’s will never contradicts His Word.
2. God Leads Through His People: I, like many men, don’t like to stop and ask for directions. But Proverbs 19:20 says, “Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days.” God guides us through mature, Christian counsel. Believers who are neutral and have nothing to gain or lose from our decision can open our eyes to options we never imagined before.
3. God Leads Through His Wisdom: How do we get God’s wisdom? It’s simple! “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him”(James. 1:5). Praying often plants an idea in our minds. James 4:2 shows why we often lack wisdom, “You do not have because you do not ask.”
4. God Leads Through the Witness of the Holy Spirit: Jesus promised the Spirit of truth, who will guide you into all truth (Jn 16:13a). God’s Spirit indwells believers to guide and direct us. How does the Holy Spirit guide us? “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” (Colossians 3:15a) answers that question. The word translated “rule” is an athletic term meaning to arbitrate or umpire. When considering an important decision, let the peace of God make the call. In my life there were times when everything seemed right, something Nelda and I wanted to do, but neither of us had inner peace. That uneasy feeling was the witness of the Holy Spirit warning us or calling the decision out-of-bounds.
5. God Leads Through the Wishes of our Hearts: This may be surprising, but we need to remember that God is not a “cosmic killjoy.” Finding and doing the will of God brings immense joy, satisfaction, and pleasure. However, as long as we live in this fallen world, our personal wishes and desires will often conflict with the path God chooses for us. So, we must be very cautious because our hearts are deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9). Psalm 37:4 promises “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart,” meaning not that you will receive everything you can dream of, but rather God actually implants his desires in our hearts.
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