{"id":1098,"date":"2012-04-27T06:00:01","date_gmt":"2012-04-27T06:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/first15\/2012\/04\/the-lord-gives-direction\/"},"modified":"2012-04-27T06:00:01","modified_gmt":"2012-04-27T06:00:01","slug":"the-lord-gives-direction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/first15\/2012\/04\/the-lord-gives-direction\/","title":{"rendered":"The Lord Gives Direction"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Weekly Overview:<\/h2>\n<p>Our heavenly Father is the giver of every good gift. His mercies are vast, powerful, and real. His love has the ability to completely overwhelm and satisfy every one of our needs. Everything he gives us satisfies, transforms, and leads us to abundant life. As we spend this week stirring up our affections toward God, allow your heart to become soft and open. Allow his loving character to draw you close and provide life to every dry and weary place in your soul.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Scripture:<\/h2>\n<p><em>\u201cThe steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way.&#8221;<\/em> Psalm 37:23<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"worship\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Worship:<\/h2>\n<h3>Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) by Hillsong United<\/h3>\n<p><\/p>\n<div style=\"display: block; margin: auto auto 30px auto; width: 100%; float:left;\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: block; margin: auto; float: left; border: 1px solid #000000; background-color: #484846; padding: 2px; -moz-border-radius: 3px; -khtml-border-radius: 3px; -webkit-border-radius: 3px; border-radius: 3px;\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dy9nwe9_xzw?rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<h2>Devotional:<\/h2>\n<p>Isaiah 48:17-18 offers a hopeful yet heart-wrenching promise of God. Scripture says, <em>\u201cI am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.&#8221;<\/em> What would it be like to experience peace like a river? What would it feel like to float on a continual stream of rest and contentment? How would past circumstances have turned out differently if only we would have listened to the commandments of God? Isaiah makes it clear that a lifestyle of peace and righteousness is readily available to us if we will simply follow the Lord our God <em>\u201cwho leads [us] in the way [we] should go.&#8221;<\/em> Let\u2019s open our hearts and minds to the Spirit of the living God today and ask him to mold and shape us into followers of his direction.<\/p>\n<p>Psalm 32:8-9 says, <em>\u201cI will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you.&#8221;<\/em> The Lord is faithful to give direction. Psalm 119:105 says, <em>\u201cYour word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.&#8221;<\/em> God\u2019s word illuminates the ways in which we should go physically, emotionally, and mentally. His word is designed to influence the ways we think, feel, and act. If we will choose to follow the direction offered to us in Scripture, we will discover a wellspring of peace and righteousness that completely drenches every part of our hearts with passion and purpose.<\/p>\n<p>Scripture is also clear that God continues to speak to us and offer us direction straight from his voice. John 10:27 says, <em>\u201cMy sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.&#8221;<\/em> All throughout the New Testament we see God\u2019s people living and working by the direct word of the Lord. The Holy Spirit loves to speak to us and give us knowledge of his plans for us. Our job is to keep our ears open to him and to respond anytime he offers us direction. He longs to lead us daily into the incredible plans he has for us. He longs to direct us into abundant peace, joy, and purpose. As his sheep we must acknowledge the leadership of our Shepherd and trust in his guidance.<\/p>\n<p>What situation lies before you today in which you need the direction of your all-knowing, loving heavenly Father? Where do you need peace and righteousness today? Where do you need your path illuminated? Dive into the word and God\u2019s heart under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and search out his commandment for your life. Tune your ears to the frequency of God\u2019s Spirit and listen to whatever he would say to you. May you discover the direction you need today as you pray.<\/p>\n<h2>Guided Prayer:<\/h2>\n<div style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<p><strong>1. Meditate on God\u2019s desire and ability to offer you direction through his word and voice. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cYour word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.&#8221;<\/em> Psalm 119:105<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cThe steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way.&#8221;<\/em> Psalm 37:23<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cMy sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.&#8221;<\/em> John 10:27<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Where do you need God\u2019s direction today?<\/strong> Where do you need the peace that comes from knowing God\u2019s will and desire for you?<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cThus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: \u2018I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.'&#8221;<\/em> Isaiah 48:17-18<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Ask the Spirit to direct you right now, and dive into what God\u2019s word says about your circumstances.<\/strong> Trust that God will speak to you perfectly because he loves you. He will make his will known to you if you ask him.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cI will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you.&#8221;<\/em> Psalm 32:8-9<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>God never desires to send you out into this world on your own. He longs to establish you as a good follower of his direction. He longs to teach you how to live your life under the guidance of the Spirit and the word. Spend time receiving fresh revelation on what it looks like to follow your heavenly Father and receive his will. Ask him to guide you throughout your day today and teach you how to be a good follower.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n<strong>Extended Reading:<\/strong> <a title=\"Psalm 37\" href=\"http:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Psalm+37&#038;version=ESV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Psalm 37<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Weekly Overview: Our heavenly Father is the giver of every good gift. His mercies are vast, powerful, and real. His love has the ability to completely overwhelm and satisfy every one of our needs. Everything he gives us satisfies, transforms, and leads us to abundant life. As we spend this week stirring up our affections&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":636,"featured_media":1101,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1098","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-first15"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Lord Gives Direction<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Weekly Overview: Our heavenly Father is the giver of every good gift. His mercies are vast, powerful, and real. His love has the ability to completely overwhelm and satisfy every one of our needs. Everything he gives us satisfies, transforms, and leads us to abundant life. 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