Foggy Mountain Addendum

A 437 word post is just not enough space to say everything that’s on my mind concerning discovering God’s direction. I should have known it would take another post when I started cutting and slashing awkward one sentence add-ons. They all seemed to be important but detracting as well.

“You didn’t say anything about…” keeps rolling around in my head. So here’s a little addendum. I can’t guarantee it will be my final thought. As a matter of fact I expect it not to be.

First Then Principle – Sometimes we want to know God’s will in the things the Bible is unclear about, while knowingly disobeying the things it addresses very clearly. First we give our heart to the direction He has revealed in the Bible, then we’re in a position to ask for the more personal direction He hasn’t.

He Never Contradicts Himself – Does God ever lead us to have an adulterous affair because our spouse is difficult? Does He ever lead us to cheat on income tax returns? Does He ever give us the go ahead to be drunk with wine? No! No! No! He never ever gives us any leading that contradicts what He has already told us in His Word.

More Hints – I listed various “hints” God might use in our lives as signposts for us to follow. Here are a few others “Most times God guides us in subtle ways, by feeding ideas into our minds, speaking through a nagging sensation of dissatisfaction, inspiring us to choose better than we otherwise would have done, bringing to the surface hidden dangers of temptation…” (Yancey)

Still Unsure – Sometimes those subtle hints lead us to confidence in knowing exactly what we should do. Sometimes we come to a place where we remain unsure, but a decision has to be made. When that happens I find myself praying something like this, “Father, I plan to_________, which is the decision that makes the most sense at the moment. I want your will to be done and ask You to redirect if needed.”

Seeing in Retrospect – It’s often easier to understand God’s leading by looking backward then looking forward. We might find ourselves saying, “So that’s what He was doing in that situation.” It’s just another reason to stay close to the One who is orchestrating it all.