Certain Paths

"You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy."-Psalm 16:11)

This morning as took my usual tour around my morning websites I visit, I pulled up the Boundless site as is my custom. The article today was titled "The Emmaus Road Adventure" by Elisabeth Adams and the tag line underneath it read, "If you're a detective-story fan, you may also have noticed that sometimes the smallest of facts becomes the most important of clues."

For whatever reason it didn't sound very interesting to me, but somehow I still felt compelled to open the article even though I didn't want to and had no idea what it was about. I'm glad I did. You see, discerning the will of God has always seemed like one of the most difficult challenging things for me. I know I make things way more intense and complicated than I should and over the years God has been helping me grow. Once again in His kindness, He provides yet another means of instructing me how to walk out daily life and decisions concerning His will through the very article on Boundless that I almost passed by. Here are some excerpts from the article, but it is definitely worth reading the entire thing!

"I used to think that guidance would come like a lightning bolt: one day (or even moment) I wouldn't know God's will for me, and the next, I would. Well, yes and no. The Hebrew word translated "acknowledge" in the above verse actually includes seeing, recognizing, making myself known to and intimately knowing my God. His guidance is often much slower than I'd wish, but it is certain.

Have you ever read a detective novel? As the story progresses, clue piles upon clue, until the last puzzle piece is finally fitted into place, and the conclusion is unmistakable. That's the adventure of seeking God's will.

But what does it look like in everyday life? It often means praying, and then using my God-given common sense: I set my sails towards His wind, and assume He is blowing me in the right direction. For weightier decisions, taking a day of fasting can be a great help. The point isn't to make myself miserable, but to acknowledge that only one of us in this relationship is omniscient – and it isn't me. It also gives me time to ask God questions and to quiet my heart for His reply.

Often I won't receive an answer right away, but if I stay tuned in during the next hours, days and weeks, I begin picking up clues. In the pages of the Bible. In the middle of a church service. Through the advice of a mentor or friend. By unfolding circumstances. With an inexplicable, but unshakable peace in my heart. Sometimes, though much less often than I'd like, through His voice. (I imagine that's because He would rather I had another chance to practice trusting Him)."

-Read full article at http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001938.cfm