What Guides You?

What is the delight or pleasure of your heart?  Sometimes we believe that our motive for decisions was just random, but that really isn't the case. Each decision that we make is guided by someone, something or some factor. In order to make right decisions, we need a guide to help us. But who are what is the guy? We have heard through TV, the media, music and whatever a variety of sources for guidance. "Let your conscience be your guide," said Jiminy cricket.  Cute song, but a bad idea. "Listen to your heart," says countless others. But the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)

But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. (Psalm 1:2)

Psalm one shows us how to get guidance.  We get guidance by speaking truth to ourselves or as the psalm say, meditate on God's word.  This meditation is not necessarily deep thinking, but instead a murmuring of the word of God to oneself.  You could accomplish this by finding a passage that God gives you and continually recite it to yourself thoughout the day or you may murmur biblical principles to yourself as you face specific challenges to yourself.  

I remember doing this as part of the Reformers Unanimous program.  Through it, I lowered my cholesterol by 50 points.  Each time I saw donuts or potato chips, I would quote the biblical principle, "If God is against it, so am I."  That act is exactly what Psalm one is all about.  A blessed life or a happy life comes by meditating on God's law day and night.

Why are all these things happening to me?

You may ask, Why are all these things happening to me?  Life has its ups and downs.  However there are times in our lives that everything seems to turn upside down.  Imagine a family in an economic struggle. They are forced to relocate and in their pursuit face one devastating trial after another.  In the end, sickness and death take their toll.  Why?  Where was God?  I guess if you want to know, you will need to ask Ruth.

Controversial as it may seem, Elimelech and his family moved to Moab.  I don't believe that any of the family members knew exactly what was happening.  Even Naomi when she later returned to Bethlehem didn't quite understand.  However if you spoke with Ruth, you would hear the story of how God used terrible circumstances for a family to rescue her from idolatry and bring her into a relationship with the one and true God.  This family experienced many trials and for many years and maybe because it took that long to turn Ruth's heart.

And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: (Ruth 1:16)

There are times when people come to Christ after hearing the gospel only a few times, but there are others, who are steeped in false religion, who will need a demonstration of the gospel's power before coming to Christ. So as you experience trials in your life and you have ruled out the chances of sinful consequence or chastisement, your life and its trials may just be a light in a very dark place.  Accept where you are, look for God's grace, and declare to others what he is doing in your life.  You may never find out what God is actually doing or you may discover a Ruth in your midst.