The LORD directs out steps,
So why try to understand everything along the way?
Proverbs 20:24
I could probably list at least ten ways that God leads his children today, but I will limit myself to the four that I think are the most significant methods of God’s leading.
First and most basic, God leads us through His written Word. As the psalmist said, “Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).
Whenever you see the scriptural phrase “This is the will of God,” you know for sure that’s His will. You also know that to disobey is to break His Word. Other clear indications of His leading are the precepts and principles in the Scripture. “Teach me good discernment and knowledge,” wrote the psalmist, “for I believe in Thy commandments” (Psalm 119:66).
Second, God leads us through the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit. Read the following statement carefully: “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12–13).
That’s why the apostle can say in the next verse, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing” (2:14). As the Spirit of God within you engages in various ways of leading you, working out God’s will in you, you come to accept it, regardless of the challenges the future brings.
The third way God leads us is through the counsel of wise, qualified, trustworthy people. This does not mean some guru in Tibet or a serious -looking stranger at the bus stop. This is an individual who has proven himself or herself wise and trustworthy and, therefore, qualified to counsel on a given matter. Usually such individuals are older and more mature than we are. Furthermore, they have nothing to gain or lose.
Finally, God leads us into His will by giving us an inner assurance of peace. “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,” Paul writes to the Colossians, “to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful” (Colossians 3:15). God’s inner assurance of peace will act as an umpire in your heart.
Although peace is an emotion, I have found it wonderfully reassuring as I’ve wrestled with the Lord’s will. This God-given peace comes in spite of the obstacles or the odds, regardless of the risk or danger. It’s almost like God’s way of saying, “I’m in this decision . . . trust Me through it.”
