God is a living God who seeks to guide us by His Spirit. Guidance is a two-way thing, however. He offers His counsel, wisdom and to guide us—if we are willing to yield and follow. The challenge is knowing His Spirit—the Holy Spirit—doing the guiding.
How can we be sure of the Holy Spirit’s guiding? Consider a compass. It works on the principle of magnetism. The earth is a magnet with two poles. One end of the compass needle is always drawn towards the north. In order for the needle to respond to changes in direction and follow true north, however, it needs to be placed so that it can turn freely.
The Holy Spirit will always point in the direction of God’s Word; all truth. We, like the needle, must be in position to respond freely.
RELEVANCE
In order to respond and turn freely, we must first be open to receiving God’s truth. We also have to be sensitive to the beckoning of the Spirit. As much as the needle needs to be magnetized to sense the pull of the magnet, we need to be filled with the Spirit and sensitive to the operatives of the Spirit.
Once while working on a business project, I felt an unsettling. I didn’t have peace. That unsettled feeling was my spirit (my “needle”) responding to the Holy Spirit warning me that something was wrong. So I prayed. God made it clear that I needed to stop what I was doing. I did. He pointed me in a different direction. It ended up making a big difference.
This is how Jesus said the Holy Spirit would guide us.
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you” (John 16:12-14).
REFLECT AND RELATE
Meditate on how God prompts you. How do you sense His trying to get through and provide wisdom and direction? Prayer is always the key. He will also point you to His Word. The Word and the Holy Spirit always are in sync. They are our guiding lights.
REFERENCES
Isaiah 59:21; John 14:15-30