Finding Guidance

We yearn for guidance, but we often don't consult the best sources to answer our questions. Sometimes we go through our days complaining that we don't hear from God—and yet when he speaks, we often listen to him seldom and poorly.

Isaiah warned his people against false guides (Isaiah 8:19-22). He lamented that some of his people were using the services of spiritists and mediums. The prophet of old would recognize the same tendencies in people today who offer to connect you with dead family members, conduct séances for you, read Tarot cards, or read your palm, or advise you based on your horoscope.

While few of us seek guidance from the occult, we often go other places, seeking advice from talk shows, self-help books, friends, or family. Verse 20 says, "Look to God's instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark."

When we do read the Bible, we too often just have our devotions—to get the job done, so to speak. And then we are finished with it. We settle for reading the Word, but we don't listen to God. Jesus says, "The very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life" (John 6:63). Come to Jesus in the Scriptures, and you'll find life. But we must do more than simply scan our eyes across a block of words—we must adopt an attitude of listening while we read. The key is the relationship. Stay in touch with God—connect.

Hearing from God is not reserved for the spiritual elite—it's for all believers who will read and listen. Are you leaning into the mountain of God's Word, keenly listening for his guidance?

[Q] Looking back on your life, what sources have you relied on for guidance?

[Q] How can you better listen to God while reading Scripture?

Make a Change: Read Luke 10:30-37 aloud. Now read it again, slower. Stop and think for a full minute or two about what you read. Pick one word or phrase to meditate on throughout the day. Ask God to open your ears to hear him speak to you through this passage.

Excerpted from the Bible study, Isaiah: How to Stay Close to God. To download more studies like this, go to ChristianBibleStudies.com.

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