Light My Way

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105   Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
106  I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments.
107  I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O Lord, according unto thy word.  (Psalm 119:105–107).

What is God’s will for my life? Am I even on the right path? When I come to a fork in the road, which choice should I make?

This is how so many of us feel about God’s will: confused. We want clarity; we feel confusion. The good news is that God doesn’t leave us in the dark. Not only does He give us a path, but He also provides a lamp to light the way. All in favor of light? Then consider these three, absolutely guaranteed, path-proven guidelines to walking in the light of God’s will.

First, find God’s will in His Word. According to Psalm 119:105, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” The Bible lights up your path so you can navigate the way forward.

When you are uncertain or feel like you’re in a dark place, turn on the light of God’s Word. Make it your daily practice to read the Bible so that you’re not just reading random snippets but beginning to know where to find the answers. Keep a list of particular passages that have given you direction. The Scriptures help you see where your feet are standing and where the path leads. God may not show you miles ahead on the path, but He’ll show you the next step.

Second, seek godly counsel. Your second source of light is advice from wise Christians. Proverbs 12:15 teaches, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.”Too often we’re tempted to think, I don’t want anyone’s input! I already know what I want to do. If I ask for advice, someone might tell me my plan is a bad idea. The foolish person doesn’t seek or listen to counsel from others before making an important decision. Don’t be indecisive—or decisive on your own.

Who are the wise, trustworthy advisers in your life? Who are the solid Christians who want what’s best for you? Who cares more about what God wants for you than what you selfishly want? Advisers don’t coddle you; they coach you.

Third, follow the Spirit of God. Jesus didn’t leave us here as orphans. He gave us the Holy Spirit to be with us forever (John 14:16–18). He’s working on us and in us! “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13). Many people claim to want the Holy Spirit’s guidance, but they skip steps 1 and 2. They don’t fill their souls with God’s Word, and they don’t seek godly counsel. Yet these are the very tools the Spirit of God uses to guide us.

If you don’t fill up on the Word and wise counsel, then you’re not giving the Spirit much to work with. You’re left with only a subjective sense of “the-Lord- told-me- to-do- this.” God will never tell you to do something contrary to His Word or counter to true, godly wisdom. If you insist on deciding against God’s Word and wise counsel, then the results will be entirely your own fault.

Together, these three guidelines provide a powerful decision-making grid. Start with Scripture. Include wise counsel. Rely on God’s Spirit. Then you’ll know your feet are on God’s path, and He will light your way.

Directed Paths

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5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him,   (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Christians don’t generally set out to doubt God. For most of us, life’s pain simply catches us off guard. Doubt is like a wrecking ball, pounding against the foundation of your life—what you believe about God. However, doubts should drive us back to God’s promises, not cause us to back away from Him! When you say, “I don’t know exactly what God is doing, but I know He’s in control,” that’s evidence you’re trusting Him. When life slams you, you need something to wrap your faith around, like Proverbs 3:5–6.

This is life verse material, one of the most cherished promises in the Bible. Let’s take it a phrase at a time.

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart” is obviously an exhortation to turn from doubt. When you trust God with all your heart, you’re making a deliberate choice not to let unbelief trample all over your soul. You’re choosing to walk by faith with both feet—and with your heart!

“ . . . and lean not unto thine own understanding.” You can’t trust God wholeheartedly if you’re also depending on your own understanding. When a crisis hits, do you lean on your own resources and know-how? Is your confidence rooted in your own ability to get out of tight spots? Are you self-reliant or God-dependent?

If your trust in God is limited by your understanding of His ways, then you will always have a limited trust. You’re not going anywhere good if you doubt God’s Word and lean on only what you can see or figure out.

Instead, “In all thy ways acknowledge him.” In every choice, recognize God and factor in His participation. You might be able to fix that situation or relationship by yourself, but you don’t just want to get through it; you want to honor God in it. If you want to please Him, then in all your ways, put Him first.

Let’s take a practice run at this. Suppose you run into financial problems: job loss, rotten investment, blizzard of bills, rising cost of living. Maybe things are getting so tight that you don’t know how you’re going to make ends meet. How do you respond?

If you lean on your own understanding, you say, “Austerity measures! Tighten the belts. No more money to charity. We can’t sponsor our little Worldvision child anymore; she’s going to have to take care of herself. No more juice boxes in the kids’ lunches; they can drink from the water fountain. We’re not giving to the church anymore; they seem to be doing fine.” While it’s wise to spend carefully, if your plan is to just gut it out, then you’re leaning on your own understanding.

If you trust in God wholeheartedly, you say, “We’re going to keep our commitments, including our tithe. We’re choosing to believe that 90 percent with God’s help is actually more than 100 percent if we’re on our own. We can’t get out of this tight spot without God, so we are going to put Him first, acknowledge He’s right here with us, and trust Him to come through.” (If you still feel squeamish about that, read Malachi 3:10.)

“And he shall direct thy paths.” This is a conditional promise. You have to do something. Your part is to trust in, acknowledge, and lean on God; His part is to make your paths smooth and passable.

Every person faces bumps in the road. Imagine driving on a gravel path pocked with potholes and speed bumps in a dangerously overloaded vehicle. Down with living like that! For the one who trusts God as Proverbs 3:5–6 describes, God will level the ground, giving you the safest, fastest, smoothest path.