Divine Guidance 1. 4

Thus far we have dealt with two chief things: the absolute necessity of being controlled by the Word of God without us, and the having a heart within which is single to God's glory and set upon pleasing Him, if we are to have the light of Heaven shining upon our earthly path. A third consideration must now engage our attention: the help of the Holy Spirit. But it is at this point we most need to be upon our guard, lest we lapse into a vague mysticism on the one hand, or become guilty of wild fanaticism on the other. Many have plunged into the most foolish and evil courses under the plea they were "prompted by the Spirit." No doubt they were "prompted" by some "spirit," but most certainly not by the Holy Spirit. HE never prompts to anything contrary to the Word. Our only safety is to impartially bring our inward impulses or promptings to the test of Holy Writ.

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the children of God" (Romans 8:14). This Divine Guide is perfectly acquainted with the path which God has ordained for each celestial traveler: He is fully conversant with all its windings and narrowness, its intricacies and dangers. To be led by the Spirit is to be under His government. He perceives our temptations and weakness, knows our aspirations, hears our groans, and marks our strugglings after holiness. He knows when to supply a check, administer a rebuke, apply a promise, sympathize with a sorrow, strengthen a wavering purpose, confirm a fluctuating hope. The sure promise is, "He will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13): this He does by regulating our thoughts, affections and conduct; by opening our understandings to perceive the meaning of Scripture, applying it in power to the heart, enabling us to appropriate and reduce it to practice. Then let us each time we open the Sacred Volume, humbly and earnestly seek the aid of Him who inspired it.

It is to be noted that Romans 8:14 opens with the word "For," the Apostle introducing a confirmation of what he had been affirming in the previous verses. They who "walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (v. 4), they who "mind the things of the Spirit" (v. 5), they who "through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body" (v. 13), are the ones who are "led by the Spirit." As the "Spirit of holiness," it is His aim to deepen the impress of the restored image of God in the soul, to increase our happiness by making us more holy. Thus He "leads" to nothing but what is sanctifying. The "Spirit guides" by subduing the power of indwelling sin, by weaning us from the world, by maintaining a tender conscience in us, by drawing out the heart to Christ, by causing us to live for Eternity.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and do not lean unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him—and He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5, 6. Note well the order here: the promise at the close of the passage is conditional upon our meeting three requirements.

First, we are to have full confidence in the Lord. The Hebrew verb for "trust" here literally means "to lean upon." It conveys the idea of one who isconscious of feebleness, turning unto and resting upon a stronger one for support. To "trust in the Lord" signifies to count upon Him in every emergency, to look to Him for the supply of every need, to say with the Psalmist "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want" (Psalm 23:1). It means that we cast all our cares upon Him, drawing from Him strength day by day and hour by hour, and thus proving the sufficiency of His grace. It means for the Christian to continue as he began—when we first cast ourselves upon Him as lost sinners, we abandoned all our own doings and relied upon His abounding mercy. Rely now on His wisdom, power and grace.

But what is meant by "trust in the Lord with all your heart"?

First, the giving unto God of our undivided confidence, not looking to any other for help and relief.

Second, turning to Him with childlike simplicity. When a little child trusts, there is no reasoning—but a simple taking of the parent's words at their face value, being fully assured that his father will make good what he has said; he dwells not on the difficulties which may be in the way—but expects a fulfillment of what is promised. So it should be with us and our heavenly Father's words.

Third, it means with our affections going out to Him: love "believes all things, hopes all things" (1 Cor. 13:7). Thus, to trust in the Lord, "with all our heart" is love's reliance in believing dependence and expectation.

The second requirement is, "and lean not unto your own understanding," which means we are not to trust in our own wisdom or rely upon the dictates of human reason. The highest act of human reason—is to disown its sufficiency and bow before the wisdom of God. To lean unto our own understanding is to rest upon a broken reed, for it has been deranged by sin; yet many find it harder to repudiate their own wisdom—than they do to abandon their own righteousness. Many of God's ways are "past finding out," and to seek to solve the mysteries of Providence, is the finiteattempting to comprehend the Infinite, which is not only being guilty of presumptuous sin—but is acting against our own well being. Philosophizing about our lot, reasoning about our circumstances, is fatal to rest of soul and peace of heart.

Third, "in all your ways acknowledge Him."

This means, first, we must ask God's permission for all that we do, and not act without His permission; only then do we conduct ourselves as dutiful children and respectful servants.

It means, second, that we seek God's guidance in every undertaking, acknowledging our ignorance and owning our complete dependence upon Him. "In everything by prayer and supplication" (Phil. 4:6): only so is God's lordship over us owned in a practical way.

It means, third, seeking God's glory in all our ways: "whatever you do—do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31). Ah, if we only did so, how very different many of our "ways" would be! If we more frequently paused and inquired, Will this be for God's glory? we would be withheld from much sinning and from much folly, with all its painful consequences.

It means, fourth, seeking God's blessing upon everything. Here is another simple and sufficient rule—anything on which I cannot ask God's blessing is WRONG.

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