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.

Be What You Were Meant to Be

There are times when all of us feel have felt left out.  Each of us have faced times when everyone else seemed to have it together as we fumbled through life.  Do others see us in this same manner?  What does God think?

Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him. (Isaiah 43:7)

Believe it or not, God has a completely different view. He created you for his glory.  All of your abilities and especially the ones that you lack are all part of the make up that is you and God has a plan that utilizes you to fulfill this plan and for his glory.  Nobody can take your place.  Your life is like a key that opens doors for God's power to work and fulfill his will.

Don't waste your life trying to live up to what others are.  Instead allow God to live through you and be the person that he created for his plan and purpose.

What Does it Take?

We have been told to be this and we have read it in the scriptures: be strong and of good courage. But what is it?  What does it look like?  What usually comes to mind is a person that will not step away in the face of dangerous circumstances and with strength and fortitude will keep from being moved.  Have you tried to do this?  Were you successful?

Many believers have tried this and were successful, but sadly to say, so many have tried and were unsuccessful.  What is the difference between the two?  Was one group more determined than the other?  Did the successful love the Lord more than those who failed?

What we must understand is that Joshua was admonished to be strong and courageous, but his success was not going to be based on his amount of strength or determination.  Joshua's strength and courage was based on the promises of God.

Joshua 1:5 ...I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

In this passage we see two aspects of God's promise: he will not fail and he will not forsake.  The words "to fail" are translated from the word which can also mean to slacken. Have you ever met someone who slacking off in their responsibilities? The person who slacks off fails to achieve all that is expected of them because they cease or are slothful with their duties. God promised Joshua that he would not act in that manner towards him. The term "forsake" means to loosen or leave. I like to think of it as giving up on something or someone. Maybe there was a time when you tried to help someone. You invested in them with great patience, but after some time you realized that nothing had changed. Things weren't getting any better and whatever you did wasn't making  any difference.  So you decided that you were done helping. What did you do? You cut yourself loose from them and left off helping.

God promised Joshua that there would never be a time that he would cut him loose. Joshua could count on God always remaining with him and never to depart. Why was Joshua so strong and so courageous? It was because he knew that God would not fail or forsake him. With that promise, he could stand against Jericho and with that promise he could be strong when he was required to pick up the pieces after the grave defeat at Ai.

The great news is that these promises are not just for Joshua. God promised you the same. You too can be strong and courageous by simply having faith in God's promises.

Hebrews 13:5 ...I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Romans 8:36-39 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Holiness (Hebrews 12:10)

Being holy isn't something we are required to do: it is something that we get to partake in or experience.

For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. (Hebrews 12:10)

We do not strive to get it, we are holy and God wants us to abide in that holiness.  We are not chastened because we commit an act of sin, we are chastened when we depart from experiencing holiness and resist returning.  Sin is a divergence that leads us away from the holiness that God wants us to experience.  It robs both the believer and God from the goodness that he wants us to experience with him.  When we see this truth, we drop the burden of holiness and embrace the experience that awaits us.

Live What You Believe (Galatians 2:11-13)

When a person comes to Chist, they begin a journey of learning and living by faith.  It may sound like an easy task, but it is anything but that.

Remember, the scriptures are your sole source of truth. God may use people that he gives to the church and their gifts to guide and influence you, but in reality, it is still just you and God.  God brings to you truth and he expects you to trust him and live by faith in that truth.

There may be times when you struggle with this.  Your struggle may come from a mis-understanding of truth or from fear that may keep you from believing and living by faith.  It can happen to the best of Christians.  The scriptures record the Apostle Peter as being one of those who struggled.

When certain disciples came to Antioch from James, Peter, who had previously eaten with the Gentile believers, withdrew and separated himself from them.  It was a terrible decision that brought upon him rebuke from the Apostle Paul.  Furthermore because of his vacillating, he probably confused and offended the Gentile believers, negatively affected his testimony, and hindered his ability to lead and influence others.  The worst was that he grieved the Holy Spirit and disappointed his father in Heaven.  All of this happened because he feared what others would think.

I wonder how many times in my life, I have failed to live as I believed, but instead altered my actions to satisfy others.  Believers need to know what they believe and then live according to that belief without being confused or ashamed. To keep from falling into that trap, I suggest that you consider the following.

1. Expose yourself to the scriptures daily.
2. Learn truth from the scriptures.
3. Believe what the scriptures say and not what others tell you what they say.
4. Ask God for grace to live the truth that you learned and believed: especially when you may be afraid.
5. Praise God each step of the way.

In Christ (Romans 8:39)

For the believer, one of the most important phrases in scripture is the phrase "in Christ". All the blessings that we have as believers come from our position in Christ. We are joint heirs in Christ. We are blessed with all spiritual blessings by that same position. In fact, every benefit that we have as a believer comes from our position in Christ.

Years ago when I worked in the steel mill, I was required to fulfill a 90 day probationary period. During that time I was obligated to fulfill every aspect of my employment and could not display any type of violation. If I did, the result would have been discharged from employment. But then, the 91st day came. It was at that point that I became a member of the union and with it entitled to all of its benefits. I inherited health benefits, vacation time, strict guidelines for types of work put upon me and protection from wrongful treatment. I was in!

Likewise when I trusted Christ, I was in! All that Christ has, I became a joint heir. His righteousness – mine! His Sonship – mine! His power – mine! The list can go on, but what I believe the be the greatest inheritance that I get from being in Christ is God's love.

Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:39)


The love that I get from God is not based on me – and am I ever glad of that – but is based on his love for his son and what he has done for us. The reason that nothing can separate me from the love of God is because there is nothing in Christ Jesus that God does not love and there will never be anything in him that could be unlovable. God, who is love, cannot stop loving and Jesus, who is the perfect object of love, can never be less than that. Because I am in Christ, I will never be less than completely and perfectly lovable.  Yes! I am in!