God's Guidance

One summer, years ago my brother-in-law and I decided that we wanted to go fishing.  However, since I am not a fisherman and he was from out of state, he said, “Let’s hire a Fishing Guide.  They know where the fish are located.”  Since we had no idea where the best fishing was on the particular lake we had chosen, that’s what we did.  I was impressed with the guide because he knew where to go, what kind of fish we might find in that location, the right kind of bait to use, and the right time of the day to put our lines in the water.

As I thought about having a guide for catching fish, my thoughts turned toward the scriptures and its focus on God being our guide.  God must have a deep concern for us because the Bible often speaks about guidance.  The prophet Isaiah wanted us to know that that God’s guidance is always available for us.  He said, “The Lord will guide you always…” (Isaiah 58:11).  In addition to this there are additional places in the Bible that point to God’s guidance.

1. When we desire understanding and want to be practical or sensible God says, “I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths” (Proverbs 4:11).
2. The words of God and His wise council are part of God’s guidance when the Scripture says, “You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory” (Proverbs 23:74).
3. As we live from day to day, we discover that God’s words are always there to give us direction.  “When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you” (Proverbs 6:22).
4. When looking for that which is true, we are given specific guidance.  “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come” (John 16:13)

Even though we may not be aware of God’s guidance, as children of God we can have complete confidence that He is vitally concerned that we have the direction we need as we seek to bring honor and glory to Him.

A Lesson in Learning

Recently, while visiting a class taught by my son who is a professor in Business and Information Technology at Northern Illinois University, I was impressed with not only the content that was shared, but with the process he used to help students learn.  Here is what I observed in his teaching.  First, he presented information.  Then he explained the terms and concepts contained in the information which was presented.  Finally he illustrated the concepts with common examples which helped the students practically apply the information to real life situations.

As I watched and listened it dawned on me that I was observing a lesson in understanding.  The process of teaching that he used was the same process that is used in the Bible.  For example, in the Old Testament the children of Israel were gathered in a great assembly and Ezra the scribe was asked to open the book of the Law of Moses (the Scriptures) which they had not heard for the many years because they had previously been held in captivity in Egypt.  In the presence of the people we are told that he “read aloud” and “all the people listened intently” (Nehemiah 8:2).  The text continues by saying that some of the Levites, “Read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read” (Nehemiah 8:8).  The people didn’t know what to do with the new information they received so Nehemiah told them, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).  A little while later we see the people practically applying what they had learned. “Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them” (Nehemiah 8:12).  Note three things about this process of learning.

(1) The first step is information.  As Ezra and the Levites “read from the book of the Law of God” they were imparting valuable information for the people which was crucial to help them learn.

(2) The second step is explanation.  In order to make the information helpful they were “making it clear and giving the meaning.”  The information provided by these men needed to be expounded so it would become understandable.

(3) The third step is application.  In a practical way we find the people going to “eat and drink” and “celebrate with great joy.”  This was possible “Because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.”

Discovery is an exciting process.  If learning is to be useful it must include information, explanation, and practical application to real life situations.