Day 31

“My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” - Psalm 139:15-16

The fact God has a plan for our lives is one of the most reassuring aspects of the Christian life. The idea of our short time on earth fulfilling an eternal purpose gives a deep sense of significance and security. On the other hand, it may fill us with foreboding at the thought we may not be sure of it or be missing it altogether.

Guidance is not our responsibility but God’s. We are never told to pray for guidance in scripture. We pray for wisdom, but Proverbs 3:6 tell us, “… in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths”. Our responsibility is to acknowledge him in all our ways, His is to direct our paths. It is His business to guide. He has not promised to tell us where he is taking us or to explain each step along the way. He may give us clear vision, or he may not. Abraham set out ‘not knowing where he was going’, but knowing who he was going with, and that was a key to his security.

The will of God for our personal lives is less like a GPS which tells us how far the road goes and which corners to turn, but more like a compass that points us in a certain direction. There may be wrong turns made along the way but if that is so, the compass will point us from our new position. God never intended Israel to have a king, but once they insisted and pushed ahead, he didn’t abandon them, but directed them in their new reality, deciding who their king would be. If we feel we have made a mistake, followed the wrong career or married the wrong person, God will continue to lead us from within that new reality and will sanctify it in the process.

That is not to say we are merely passive. We listen to the inner voice of the Holy Spirit planting His desires in our hearts. We listen to the Scriptures which reveal the general will of God, for we only find His specific will within the context of His general will. We look at our circumstances, gifts and abilities, our aptitudes, our longings, we take wise counsel and we take risks. But if we go wrong, we need not panic. God tells Isaiah, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it" (Isaiah 30:21). God often doesn’t need to speak when we are on track, which is why the voice came from behind. Then we readjust and do our best to get back on track.