When man seeks supernatural wisdom, he often turns to the spirit world by consulting mediums, witches, or other avenues forbidden by God. Leviticus 19:31 says “Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.” However, Isaiah 8:19 says, “When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead, on behalf of the living?”
The assurance of God in this regard is given in John 16:13 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.” The divine guidance is available to us if we:
• We must walk in the ways of the Lord. If we want direction from God, we must come to Him through His Son. Jesus said, in John 14:6, we are told “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” God’s promises in Scripture are for His children. So, when we come to Him in the way He has provided, we can claim His promises for wisdom and guidance.
• True guidance is given in the ‘Word of God’. If God has already stated something in His Word, He will not contradict it. He will not instruct us to murder someone, steal, or commit adultery. Thus, an answer that comes to us in contradiction to the established Word of God is definitely wrong. To justify sin by saying that God has made an exception to His own commands is to take God for granted and want to do our will, rather than the will of our Creator.
• God speaks through His holy Word and also through the confirmations of His Spirit. Romans 8:16 says, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:” When we give control of our lives to the Holy Spirit, we shall have a transformed life.
• We should pray and ask for divine guidance. James 4:2 says “You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” Further, when we ask, we should believe that we have received it. When we ask in faith, we can move with confidence in the right direction that appears wisest, asking the All Mighty God to shut any door that He did not open. We need to move ahead with eyes wide open, staying in prayer and seeking God’s answer with a heart to obey.
• We cannot seek the guidance of God to humour our whims and fancies. When the Lord reveals something that does not suit us, we reject it and thereafter repent. In II Chronicles 17 we learn that when Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah to go to war against Ramoth Gilead, all the 400 prophets were prophesising victory. But when the man of God, Micaiah, was summoned, he predicted defeat. He was insulted and they went to war. The battle was lost and Ahab died.
Dr Ashwin Drummond
laddertoheaven.co.in