Thursday, September 4, 2008
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I had been on a radio interview, and I was about to sign off. Suddenly I heard this familiar voice chiming in, "Hi, Ron. This is Rosetta." It wasn't the lady who was interviewing me, it was the traffic lady, and she was up next as soon as they got rid of me. But she just jumped right in and said "Hi." Now I knew her voice because morning after morning she had been there giving us the latest scoop on how long the commute was on this road, or where the accident was on that road, or which roads had turned into parking lots. In the New York area, there's a lot of ways to go, and which one you choose any given morning can make the difference between on time or very late. So just before I signed off that interview, I thanked Rosetta for what she did for us every morning. I told her, "Rosetta, you help us pick the right road to be on!"
I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "Inside Info On the Road Ahead."
The traffic lady's able to help us find the best way because she's got information we don't have. She's got the big picture; she knows where the slowdowns are. I have great news. You have someone like that for the choices in your life that are much bigger than just today's travel, where a wrong choice costs you a lot more than just a few extra minutes in a traffic jam.
God really wants you to pick the right road - the road that lines up with His great plans for you. And He can see what's on all the roads out there. He can see which one is best, and He wants to let you know. Our word for today from the Word of God, Isaiah 48:17, "This is what the Lord says - your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. 'I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.'" Man, what a promise!
Every day you have to decide which way to go in raising your son or daughter, in your personal finances, in your business, in your love life, your ministry, or your relationships. And one of the great benefits of belonging to Jesus Christ is that you don't have to figure it out based only on the limited perspective you have! The One who can see it all is committed to teach you what is best for you, not just what is good for you, and He's committed to direct you in the way you should go.
You may very well have some "which way?" decisions you're facing right now. Claim the promise! Pray that promise back to God. It's Isaiah 48:17. The Bible is full of promises like this!
In order to be able to hear God's leading, here are a few practical steps to take:
- Don't head into any day without really praying over it and praying through it. God's guidance comes in days, so go over each day with Him early on.
- Open your Bible with a seeking heart, asking God to show you in these verses a way that He wants you to be thinking today. Keep a journal of what He says.
- Pay most attention to what you feel most consistently while you are praying when there is no other voice but God's influencing you.
- Ask God for, and then look for, circumstances that confirm the direction you've been sensing in His Word and in His presence.
- Make sure you have opened yourself up to anything God wants. God writes His leading on your blank piece of paper, not on a contract you've filled out for God to sign.
Remember, the real issue here is getting closer to your Heavenly Father. He uses our "which way?" struggles to draw us into a deeper dependency on Him. Showing us the plan is the easy part; getting us to trust Him is the hard part.
As you look ahead to your journey, make sure you are tuned to the frequency where the guidance is, to your Father in heaven who sees it all and has all the inside information on the road ahead.