Wisdom directs our path

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths. Pr 3:5-6

Early on in my Christian years, I wanted to know the formula to discover God's will for my life. I usually ended up being disappointed after listening to sermons and or reading books because they didn't deliver on their promises to help discover God's will. Later on, I heard Dr. Charles Stanley said that 'If you want to know God's will, read the Bible and obey it" and I thought that was truly profound.

Years later, his son (Andy Stanley) taught a series called "Discovering God's will" and one of them he made the following statements: "God does not give us directions for our consideration or contemplation' but He guides and communicates assuming our willingness to act and obey. But the problem has been the unwillingness to follow through on what God has revealed through His word. It's more like 'God, show me what you want me to do so I can consider it – I will put it in my basket of options to consider'.

In a very real sense, our lives are the sum total of decisions that we have made (good or bad). There are pages in my life I wish I could rewrite all over and choose different paths. Nevertheless, I am very grateful that I can make different choices for the best that will result in different outcomes.

Proverbs 3:5–6 are precious promises to Christians who want to know and do God's will in every area of life. Fortunately, God wants us to know and do His will; He is eager to reveal His will to us , more than willing to guide and directs our paths but it's got to be on His own terms. First and foremost:

• I am to listen to God's word

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, Col 1:9-10

• I am to not only listen but obey God's word

If I really trust God, I will obey Him. Jesus made it clear that in this life we can take only one of two ways, and each of them leads to a different destination. Everybody has to choose either the crowded road that leads to destruction or the narrow road that leads to life (Matt. 7:13–14)

Heavenly Father, I am very thankful that you did not leave us in the dark but provided us with your word. Father, we pray that You will show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths, guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

Ps, 25:3-4