Psalm 25:4-5

Guidance is a recurring theme in the Psalms. David had a pressurised and complicated life. He knew that he was totally dependent on the Lord to guide him. That meant that he needed to keep close to God in order to hear his guidance clearly. The way some people talk about their relationship with God makes it sound as if it is simply a matter of obtaining impersonal information or advice. But for David, guidance flowed from his intimate relationship with God. Martin Luther put this well when he wrote: “I know not the way God leads me, but well do I know my guide.”

God’s desire is that we should find the right path so we can come to him with confidence. We don’t have to wonder whether God might want to guide us or not. I love this comment from the American president, Abraham Lincoln: “I am satisfied that when the Almighty wants me to do or not to do any particular thing, he finds a way of letting me know it.”

It is important that we are open to the very wide variety of ways in which God might speak to us. Undoubtedly, he will sometimes do so through the Bible or a sermon. But he might also guide us through a conversation that we have or through some music. Or, remembering what we were looking at yesterday, he may speak to us through nature or by us gazing at the night sky. In short, we need to be open to any way in which God might choose to speak with us.

David put his hope in God because he was confident that God would guide him and we need to do the same.

Question

In what specific situations are you seeking guidance at the moment, and how are you trying to find it?

Prayer

Lord God, I praise you that you are a God who loves to guide me. Help me to place all my trust in you. Amen