Following the Lord’s guidance is always the best despite our desire to do what we want. I consistently make good decisions by following the Lord’s direction through the Holy Spirit and godly advice. I can also say that when I decided to make decisions based on my desires and selfishness, I consistently made poor choices.
Many years ago, I felt drawn by the Holy Spirit into full-time ministry that required a significant change for our family. Looking into the future, my wife and I had no idea how the Lord would use this would transform us and shape our young children. Our children are now adults whose lives would have been much different if we had not followed the urging of the Holy Spirit. When we follow the Lord’s guidance, it is so powerful it affects us and those close to us in fantastic ways.
Samuel Had a Choice to Follow the Lord’s Guidance
As Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel, but they were of poor character accepting bribes and perverting justice. To compound the situation, the people of Israel were not following the Lord or listening to Him as a nation. In this perfect storm, the people of Israel wanted a king so they could be like other nations.
1 Samuel 8:4 Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. 5 “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.” 6 Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. 7 “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. [1] Being faithful to the Lord and His guidance, Samuel would anoint the first king of Israel, knowing the results would not be helpful to the nation.
Being Guided by the Lord
Being able to hear the Lord’s guidance begins with our minds and our hearts. In Psalm 46:10, the Lord tells us to be still as we listen for His leading. In addition, the Lord tells us that He promises to guide us with His Holy Spirit. John 16: 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.[2]
As we quiet our hearts before the Lord and seek Him through prayer, He will guide us as we wait patiently on Him. The Lord knows our hearts, and when we want to follow Him and His ways, He will guide us as we trust Him. To learn more about following the Lord’s guidance, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/journey-kings
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (1 Sa 8:4–7). Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Jn 16:13). Tyndale House Publishers.