Have you ever needed a guide to show you where to go or how to do something? I have. Are you like me at how I often do not look at the directions before trying to assemble something only to have the need to go back to the guidebook. I have. Have you ever tried to do something without seeking God for assistance? I have, in fact I do it all too often. Let me share with you what I learned about how guidance brings hope.
One of the many things that I have learned over my life is that when I make plans. I need guidance. My plans often do not take into account all the possibilities because I do not know them all. My life verse is Proverbs 3:5-6, “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 make straight your paths.” (ESV)
So, even though this is my life verse I must admit that I often do not take it seriously. I lean on my own understanding when it comes to my plans. I do not seek Him first, and sadly I do not trust in the Lord. I do not look to the Lord as my guide. I go on a self-guided tour with a guidebook made by me instead of by God. The Bible talks about this in several places Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” (ESV) “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 (ESV) Then there is James 4:13-15, “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” (ESV)
I cannot explain why I haven’t fully grasped God’s guidance in my life. I do not understand why I continue to place my hope in myself and not God. I do know that this is not just my misunderstanding, but it is the misunderstanding of many people. I will continue to try to live my life in light of Proverbs 3:5-6 because it holds the key to hope for me. After all the Bible seems to tell me that if my plans are different from God’s plans for me than there is no hope because God’s plans are always going to happen. He will use my blunders and the trials that result from them to make me perfect, complete, and lacking in nothing, James 1:2-4,
“Count it all joy, my brothers when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (ESV)
I pray you seek the guidance of God because He is the only guide we ought to follow. When we don’t, trust me, it’s not a good place to be. My personal experience has reinforced the importance of pursuing the right kind of wealth, the riches that only Jesus can give. The riches of having a personal relationship with God. It is that relationship that solves the problem of sin and brings us hope in the present and the future. I would also encourage you to seek Jesus for He is the only opportunity there is to have eternal life. This is to me the greatest source of hope. In doing so, I believe we will have hope and joy in our everyday lives. Understanding how Jesus Christ grants us access to eternal life, allows us to live in hope. “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” John 17:3 (ESV) At the same time understanding you will live eternally knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ will also bring you the greatest hope. Because of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, all of our sins were satisfied and the penalty for them was paid. His payment satisfies all my sins from the past, the present and in the future. My penalty and yours was satisfied on the cross by the death of Jesus, God’s greatest act of love and wrath, who became sin for me and you. It was also God’s greatest act of faithfulness because “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (ESV) Because holiness shows us, we need to believe in Jesus. I hope that you join me in helping others to choose Jesus.
If you have not read my previous blogs, you can find them here. You can watch a book trailer about my book. You can find my book, Hope Amid Hopelessness: Our Abba Father Provides a Way Through Mental Illness here. eBook or Audiobook versions can be found at Westbow Press or Christianbook.com at Amazon or Google.
I mentioned that I was going through a difficult time right now. If you are interested in what I am going through, you can read about it here.
