(FreeImages.com/Dhany Syamsuddin)
I hear so many Christians either erring on the side of ignoring the reality of Divine guidance in the everyday details of life or erring on the side of placing “Revelation,” as it is sometimes called, above the written Word of God.
The former group of people tend to be those who are so scared of false teachers that they ignore the reality of the Spirit of God and His divine inspiration and guidance within our daily lives.
This group of people tend to imply that God’s Word alone is our source of inspiration and guidance. They believe that God speaks only through His Word, with few exceptions.
I believe this is mainly in reaction to so many false leaders that have led people astray from supposedly hearing directly from God.
We are wise to “test the Spirits.” There are many false teachers, and it is especially wise to be prudent when someone claims to hear something from God. Every word needs to be “checked” against the truth of the Word of God.
Yet, to imply that God speaks only through His Word alone is to imply that we live most of our lives outside of the realm of Divine guidance.
For example, when it came time to moving, job changes, academic choices for our kids, business decisions, relationships, etc…, I asked the Lord for wisdom and relied on His Holy Spirit to lead/direct.
The Bible does not address specific life events. It does give overall life principles that do help to govern our daily choices, but it does not tell you if you should buy a specific house or relocate to a specific area. So, if God does not speak in any other way than through His Word, are we living most of our lives outside of Divine guidance?
I remember when I heard a friend say that she looks for the open door. If the “door” is “open,” she assumes it’s a go. If it closes, she assumes that means a “no.” I believe there is a lot of danger in this. There are many open doors, but they are not all for us to enter. That seems more like relying on chance than actual Divine guidance.
What if instead, God does desire to direct our lives in every area of life?
Makes sense, right?!!! If every decision in our lives does impact our lives, then would it not make sense that God would want to give us wisdom to make the best decision — rather than the most convenient?
There are many ways God speaks, and His Word is replete with verses that talk about His thoughts towards us and His speaking to His people.
God has used music, creation, dreams (on occasion), godly advice from friends, books, and many other ways to speak to my heart. Sometimes, I get this definite impression from God that is very different from any other type of thought. I have known, in those times, that the impression was from God. I usually ask Him to confirm with His Word that what I thought I “heard” was from Him.
There are dangers in putting too much emphasis on human “revelation” rather than God’s Word. Within the groups of people that fall into this category are those who seem to even disregard the written Word of God over their own “divine inspiration/revelation.” That immediately sends off a “red flag” to me.
God’s Spirit will never contradict His Spirit-inspired written Word. The Word of God was inspired by the Spirit of God. God does not contradict Himself.
A truly Spirit-led person will love the Word of God, the people of God, and God Himself.
I believe there are two groups of people often seen within the present-day Church:
- There are those who from fear act like the Word of God replaces the Spirit of God. These churches are known for their emphasis on truth but spurn many allusions to the Spirit’s leading and seem to have difficulty understanding grace, outside of the theory of it.
- There are those who put such emphasis on the “Spirit” that it becomes questionable whose spirit is directing them. Their “revelations” contradict the Word of God, or there is a lack of love for the Spirit-inspired Word of God. In other words, they seem to ignore the fact that God’s Word is Spiritual. Their concept of grace is another man-made theory that is as effective as slapping a smiley face sticker on a person who just lost a loved one and telling them that if they smile it will be all better.
I love the following verse which expresses the balance so beautifully:
John 4:24
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
It is the Spirit of God that directs the Word of God to penetrate into our hearts with unfailing precision.
We can, indeed, live every moment of our lives within the protection of Divine guidance.
Grace In The Moment 