Isaiah 8:20 Consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.
The knowledge of God’s word reveals God’s will. My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6a). Many are tricked into silly inconspicuous mistakes as they lack knowledge and understanding. ‘Understanding’ is our spiritual testing-lab. Test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:21). We must put to test the advice, counsel, warning or direction through the filter of the Word of God. “Men give advice, but God gives guidance” – Leonard Ravenhill. Hence it is inevitable to read, ingest and digest the Word of God every morning, noon and night. Unless we have the scriptures hidden in the library of our heart, the Holy Spirit will not be able to remind us of the Biblical divine direction.
God speaks to us by the impressions in our heart. The acid-test to understand if it is a divine or demonic impression is to examine it with God’s word. Godly intuitions will not stir bitterness, swirl sourness or slur stench in relationships. ‘God’s will’ is always backed by God’s Word and can never be contrary to the ‘written Word’. My people will go into exile far away because they do not know me (Isaiah 5:13). The naïve are led astray by eloquent and persuasive words as they lack Godly wisdom. It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality (1 Thessalonians 4:3). Furthermore, divine peace follows divine impressions. If you lack peace even for a noble deed, refuse to be involved.
Three acid-tests to understand God’s will:
- Signs: God speaks to us with signs, signals and symptoms. A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, But the simple pass on and are punished. (Proverbs 22:3). If we’ve tried to proceed with a business opportunity and our car breaks-down or appointments get repeatedly cancelled; Stop and pray. Those who are gullible to signs run through ‘red lights’ into deranged danger. They were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia (Acts 16:6b). Stop when God stops, for a green-signal/sign to move forward.
- Similitude: Parables and pictures are part of God’s vocabulary. I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitude, by the ministry of the prophets (Hosea 12:10). The Lord might reveal His will in a vision of a bunch of juicy grapes or a dry parched land as we pray for a career move or a job opportunity. The Lord spoke to Peter with a vision of an edible basket filled with unclean animals to reiterate that He has made the unclean, ostracized and outcast gentiles His own holy people. Similitude is God’s symbolic demonstration of His will.
- Serenity: Peace in our heart is the divine ideogram of God’s will. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts (Colossians 3:15a). There will be an inexplicable peace in the midst of a turbulent turmoil and an unshakable surety even in a tumultuous tornado when we are in the centre of God’s will. Serenity is the surety of God’s presence and His perfect will.
Signs, similitude and serenity are God’s sign-language to reveal His will.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Prayer: Dear Holy Spirit, my guide, counsellor and shepherd, make me prudent and wise to understand and walk in your perfect will. Amen.
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