Watch Where You’re Going
There’s no better path than the one God wants us on.
by David Jeremiah
"Look... and watch—be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe..." - Habakkuk 1:5
God loves to surprise us by doing astounding things! It's exciting to watch and see His unbelievable answers to prayer—the prayers of His people. As a pastor, many have asked me over the years how to find God's direction for their life. My answer, I'll admit, is always very straightforward: "Have you prayed about it?" All too often my suspicions are confirmed.
Why go to a man or woman for advice when you can approach the Creator of the universe? Asking God is not only a good place to start, it's the only place to start! After all, we're in the palm of His hand. God has a blueprint plan of our lives, written in the palm of His hand. "See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me" (Isaiah 49:16).
If we don't know which way to go, we simply need to ask God. The Bible says we have not because we ask not. Seek God's direction, surrender completely to Him, listen to His Word, and what once seemed mysterious will become amazingly clear. It's like looking at a picture containing another "unseen" picture. As we stare at the picture, the unseen picture emerges. We can suddenly see the unseen things; we wonder why we didn't see them before.
Our perspective changes through prayer and Bible study. We begin to listen to our loving Lord, counselor, and friend. We see the many gifts God has for us, and the perfect path He has chosen for us. Our life changes as our gentle shepherd steers us from the path we have chosen for ourselves to the one He has chosen for us. We begin to look at life not in terms of what we can do, but what He can do through us! And as we follow His direction, we learn that nothing can distract, destroy, discourage, disappoint, or defeat us.
Do distractions cause you to get lost along the way? We start out with big plans to get something done, then some other good thing comes along and before we know it, we've been sidetracked and lost the goal completely. But when we keep God's purpose in mind, we are empowered by the Spirit of God to accomplish it. Distractions disappear.
Isn't it exciting to know that nothing can distract or destroy you when you're living according to God's plan. Jesus did not fear destruction. He knew the plan, and He was on target. He had courage and confidence because He understood exactly what was ahead and why. And He never became discouraged.
Do you ever get discouraged? It's easy to get down in the dumps. Getting out is the hard part. You can find God's direction in your life by talking to Him in prayer, listening to Him as you study His Word, and talking to a Christian counselor or friend. Focusing on God will free you from disappointment. Live according to His plan and you will not be defeated.
Lock on to the goal God has for your life. Live with purpose. Pray fervently and consistently for the desire to do His will. Trust Him and go in whatever direction His plan takes you.
There's no more fulfilling, peaceful, and perfect place to be than soundly in the center of God's will. When He points you to the path, charge down that path and pursue His will with a passion. But watch where you're going and stay on the path.
This article was excerpted from Turning Points, Dr. David Jeremiah's devotional magazine, and used by permission c/o Crosswalk.com. Call Turning Point at 1-800-947-1993 for your complimentary copy of Turning Points.