Introduction
Today, I want to briefly share with you how God leads. No doubt, we shall continue to be in the dark, unless God leads us into His light. No Christian can be successful in his or her Christian pilgrimage without God’s leadership. The real challenge with many of us is that, we have not understood the rudiments of God’s leadership. Many of us wait for moments of great decisions or times we are at the crossroad before we now call on God to lead us. Some of us prefer maps, compass and road-signs more than the Guide Himself. This is very wrong. God’s leadership should be a lifestyle, not a product of intermittent experiences. God wants to lead us in the morning, in the afternoon and even in the night. He wants to lead both in the small things and the big ones. The big question is; “Is God leading you?”
• God Wants To Lead You: Psalm 32:6-9. From our passage today, it is very clear that our God is the Instructor, the Teacher and the Guide of men. He is not an epicurean God, Who is careless about the interests and concerns of children, especially His Church. He is a God that cares about His children enough not to surrender them to the powers of life that are wielded at will by sensual and malignant hearts. He wants to lead you out of danger; He wants to lead you into glory. But this can only be fully accomplished when you understand, follow and surrender to His programme of leadership. From our text, before God GUIDES, He INSTRUCTS and TEACHES. Let us consider briefly the three steps briefly found in Psalm. 32:8.
• Instruction: God wants to instruct us if He will lead us, and not just advise us. Many of us actually prefer His advice and not His instructions.
• Teaching: He also wants to teach us through His Word, the way to go. Such teachings we received before will go a long way in helping us make the right decisions at critical times. If you have not been paying attention to His teachings, you will spend more time in knowing His mind, when you are at a crossroad.
• Guidance: In spite of His instructions and teachings, He then guides us with His eye.
The eye here means more than God just watching us from afar. Nevertheless, the saying is true, “those who know the language of the eye have mastered the language of the soul” God’s eye here could be our conscience, His Word, His Holy Spirit or providences/circumstances of life. God guides readily those He has instructed and taught. Therefore, the mere fact that God is looking at us should make us readily say, “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do? “Here am I; send me.” Lord, thy will be done.” How ready are you to submit to God’s Will for your life?
• If You Want God To Lead You, then adopt the followings as rules for your life:
(1) Lay the whole circumstances in God’s presence. Hide nothing from Him. It is abject foolishness and total madness to hide anything from Him.
(2) Bring your will to God in its fluid condition that He may mould it and direct it before it is solidified.
(3) Deeply detach your affections in the matter by the power of the Holy Spirit, so that you could do whatever God tells you is His Will.
(4) Wait to hear God speak to you and be ready to do His Will, even if you don’t understand. Just be sure you have heard from Him.
Conclusion
Those whom God leads and guides will escape from men’s craftiness. They will unravel mysteries and unveil evil men’s secrets. There is no limit to the heights such can attain that are led of God. Just few days ago, I was going to book an Arik air flight to Warri and I heard the Lord said that I should choose the day’s first flight, though the event I was attending was in the evening. I reluctantly agreed. But when after checking in, the announcement came that all remaining Arik flights for the day had been cancelled. Pastor T.D. Jakes of the Porters Church, Dallas Texas once narrated how God spoke to him while driving to purchase a large parcel of land, which he did not need initially. Later, he agreed with God and bought the property. Few months after, the land fetched him millions of dollars, when the US government discovered oil on the said property. May we all be ready and willing to follow God as He instructs, teaches and guides us! Amen. Shalom
Shepherdhill Baptist Church (Sanctuary of Grace & Glory), Baptist Academy Compound, Obanikoro, Lagos.
