Do you feel stuck not knowing what to do next?
Do you wish that God would speak more clearly to you?
Do you feel that there's too many choices of which way to go?
I've been right where you are many times. God's Word promises us over and over again that He will provide direction and guidance. Here are a few examples:
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths." - Proverbs 3:5-6
"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you." - Psalm 32:8
"Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." - Psalm 119:105
"When the Spirit of truth come He will guide you into all truth..." - John 16:13
"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him." - James 1:5
So it is clear that direction, guidance, wisdom is a clear promise from God. God has promised that He will make it clear which way we should go as long as we seek Him and ask Him for it. So why do we so often feel like we don't know where to go or what to do?
When I find myself in that position it's usually one of two reasons:
1) I'm asking the wrong question
I specifically remember one time in my life in which this was true. I felt that my time in my current location was over and I was ready to move on to a new place. I had two different places that I wanted to go to and I kept asking God "Where should I go?". For a long time I was frustrated because I felt God wasn't answering me and I couldn't hear His direction. Finally out of frustration I asked "God what is it you want me to do?" Immediately I heard one of the clearest words from God I have had in my life and it was very simple "Stay".
God was waiting for me to ask the right question. In my question I was limiting His answer by asking where I was supposed to go to. It wasn't until I gave Him all the possibilities that I finally heard what I was supposed to do. I wasn't supposed to go anywhere, I was supposed to stay exactly where I was.
2) He's already told me and I'm ignoring it
This I think is our more common reason. We actually did hear from God but we aren't listening because either we don't trust what we heard or we don't like what we heard. Above I put the verse from James 1:5 that says if we lack wisdom we can ask God and we will get it, but James doesn't stop there:
"But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like the wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." - James 6-8
I believe we often ignore what God was saying due to our lack of faith. That could be a lack of faith in our ability to hear God (which is really a lack of faith in His ability to speak to us), or it could be a lack of faith that God can bring what He said to pass. Often we want an easier answer than what God has given us. I especially have a tendency to get impatient. If God tells me one way of doing things that I know will take a while, I keep asking hoping that He will give me a quicker answer. In these cases I believe God just sits back and waits for us to finally accept what He already told us. Unlike us God doesn't have a problem with patience so He will wait as long as it takes.
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