God as Teacher & Guide

“This is what the Lord says – your Redeemer, the Holy One of Isreal: ‘I AM the Lord your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow.’” – Isaiah 48:17 NLT

            What can we learn from this statement? God is like a Father to us. He wishes to teach and guide us each day. When we listen to Him and obey His words, peace & hope will come to us. It’s God’s wish to bless His children and not hurt us.  If we refuse to listen to the instruction(s) of Almighty God, we invite disruption, and chaos into our lives. It may not be immediate, but it will come because we have decided that we know better than God how to run our own lives. In all honesty, we are incapable of doing ANYTHING of any eternal value without Him.

            What do you think you could learn from someone who knows all that can be known? I’d say a bunch, but you have to pay close attention in order to correctly decipher the information that is being disseminated.

            We all should know that there are any number of tools we can use to find out how to get from one place to another; MapQuest & Google Maps are just two. But those tools will never clue you in regarding where God wishes you to go. Using spiritual discernment will. 

To achieve that level of understanding it helps to remain quiet before the Lord; having your mind focused on Him. The definition of discernment is “to have keen perception & judgment”. ^[1] While it is possible for a person to have discerning abilities, to grasp the deeper meaning of God’s Word we definitely need the assistance of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual discernment needs spiritual representation; namely God’s involvement.

Always remember Jeremiah 29:11; "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." If God didn’t love and care for you, then why would He say that His plans for us are “to prosper us and not harm us”. This isn’t a promise to prosper us in a monetary way, but rather to have us prosper in a spiritual way. Money tends to disappear faster than an ice cube in the hot sun, but prospering spiritually will be with you for all eternity. Weigh your options carefully so you make wise choices.

Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

^[1] The Common English Dictionary.