John 10:27 ~ My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
Q - Who are Jesus’s sheep?
A - You, me & all the other Christians.
So we all need to:
A. Hear what Jesus is telling us.
B. Then follow His instructions.
Psalm 48:14 ~ For this God is our God for ever and ever: He will be our Guide even unto death.
Illustration
For many years I worked in the centre of Edinburgh.
While I was out for a walk at lunchtime, tourists would often stop and ask me how to get to places they wanted to see.
Because I knew the city centre very well, I could quickly tell them the best route.
With God it’s even better:
He’s the perfect Guide for the whole of our life.
So if we don’t know what to do / how to do it - we can ask God: who knows everything!
Proverbs 3:5-6
5Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.
Q - Remember how God guided the Israelites in the desert?
A - With a:
Pillar of cloud during the day.
Pillar of fire at night.
Which showed them:
When to stay.
When to move on.
(Numbers 9:15-23, Deuteronomy 1:33, Nehemiah 9:12 & 19, Psalm 78:14 & 52-53)
Therefore:
When God says ‘stay’ - we should stay.
When God says ‘go’ - we should go.
James 1:5 ~ If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally (= generously), and upbraideth not (= ungrudgingly); and it shall be given him.
Q - So what should we do if we're facing a decision & need help?
A - Ask God, and then expect Him to answer!
God WANTS to help us:
He always has the best answer.
And His advice is free!
(Unlike advice from a: solicitor, financial adviser, architect etc.)
Further reading
Genesis 24:27, 26:2-4
Joshua 9:3-14 & 22
(When the Israelites did not ask God about the Gibeonites.)
2 Chronicles 32:22
Psalms 23:2-3, 32:8, 43:3, 48:14, 73:24
Isaiah 28:29, 30:1, 45:13 (King Cyrus from verse1), 48:17, 49:10, 58:11
Zephaniah 1:6
1 Samuel 9:15-16
15Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying,
16Tomorrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over My people Israel,
that he may save My people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon My people, because their cry is come unto Me.
--> God told Samuel to anoint Saul as the first king of Israel - a very important task.
--> But God only told Samuel the DAY BEFORE they met!
A key event which changed world history, was when God showed / told Peter that the gospel was also for Gentiles, not just for Jews.
But God only told Peter about this immediately before the three messengers from Cornelius arrived, to escort him to the Gentile Centurion Cornelius. (Acts 10:19-23)
So we shouldn’t expect God to guide us a long time before we need to decide.
He guides us WHEN WE NEED TO KNOW - and not before.
Illustration
It’s like a road sign showing a junction.
The road sign is placed where we need to take action - not 10 miles too soon.
Further reading
Matthew 2:13-14
Specific
Individual
Detailed
Notice how SPECIFICALLY God guided Isaiah:
Isaiah 7:3 ~ Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field.
--> This wasn’t a vague hint - God gave DETAILED GUIDANCE to Isaiah about:
When to take action. (Now)
Who to take with him. (Shearjashub his son)
Who to meet. (Ahaz)
Where to meet him. (At the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field)
Here’s another EXAMPLE of God’s SPECIFIC, DETAILED guidance:
We were on our way to a Christian conference in South Wales, towing our caravan.
We needed to make an overnight stop in mid-Wales - there were many caravan sites to choose from.
My wife felt led to choose a specific, small, fairly remote site listed in the book.
Once we arrived, we discovered that the caravan site was next to the building where a young lady called Mary Jones went to school, at the end of the 18th century.
Mary Jones’ hunger for the Word of God inspired the founding of The Bible Society - you can search online for the full, impressive story.
When I walked on the hills above the site, it seemed like there was an 'open heaven’ over that spot - probably because of the faith & determination of Mary Jones.
After returning home from another visit to South Wales ...
... we discovered that the hotel we’d been guided to stay in, had been built on the site of a dramatic visitation of God during the Welsh revival of the early 20th century.
(The secular newspapers reported this particular miracle.)
So God can give us SPECIFIC & DETAILED guidance TODAY.
Just like He guided Isaiah.
God also has an INDIVIDUAL plan He wants each of us to fulfil
Acts 16:6-10
6Now when they (= Paul, Silas & Timothy) had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,
7After they were come to Mysia, they assayed (= tried) to go into Bithynia (Mysia & Bithynia were regions in what is now Turkey):
but the Spirit suffered them not (= the Holy Spirit didn’t allow them).
8And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.
9And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him (= pleaded with Paul), saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us .
(Macedonia is on the opposite side of the Aegean Sea from Mysia & Bithynia).
10And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured (= sought) to go into Macedonia,
assuredly gathering (= concluding) that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.
--> We may think that God would have been happy for Paul, Silas & Timothy to preach the gospel anywhere - including Mysia & Bithynia.
--> But that wasn’t His individual plan for them.
--> So God guided them back into the specific work which He wanted them to do.
Illustration
It’s like going to the bus / train station:
We could board any bus / train - they all transport passengers.
But it’s important that we choose the right bus / train - for where we need to go.
RECAP - God gives us SID guidance:
Specific
Individual
Detailed
Further reading
2 Samuel 2:1-2
Matthew 10:5-6
Mark 14:12-16 / Luke 22:8-13
Luke 4:25-27
Acts 8:26
1 Corinthians 16:7
Biblical guidance can be:
a. Universal
b. Specific
a. UNIVERSAL guidance
Proverbs 2:6 ~ For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
--> As we read the Bible / God's Word - we grow in wisdom, by understanding what pleases & what displeases Him.
So the better we know the Bible, the more we’ll know what to do in ANY circumstance - for example:
God’s command: ‘Do not steal’ - applies in any circumstance.
Like the Highway Code’s command: ‘Do not exceed the speed limit’ - applies on any road.
Further reading
Proverbs 11:3 & 5
Colossians 3:16
b. SPECIFIC guidance
This comes via a particular Bible passage.
God somehow arranges for us to read a relevant section of the Bible - just when we need that particular guidance!
Example A
I was travelling to Africa and was waiting in the prayer room at Heathrow Airport for my colleague to arrive.
We were due to speak to some African pastors the next day - but I wasn’t sure which message God wanted me to share:
A lady employee at the airport walked into the prayer room, picked up the open Bible on the table at the front, turned it to a different page and walked out.
Five minutes later a man came in, looked intently at that Bible passage and walked out.
God now had my attention!
So I walked up to the table, READ the Bible passage on view, and immediately KNEW the message which God wanted me to deliver.
The next day, the pastors confirmed that that message was just what they needed to hear in their situation!
Example B
On another occasion, I was concerned about the risks involved in visiting a different African country - where there was considerable unrest at the time.
My daily reading included Jeremiah 39:18, which seemed to ‘stand out’ as I read it:
18For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword …
--> So I went ahead with the trip, and everything was fine.
Isaiah 55:12 ~ For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace …
--> God leads us with His peace.
So when we’re making a major decision - we should check: Do I have the peace of God about this?
If we go against God’s plan --> God causes things to go badly & we won’t have peace.
TWO EXAMPLES FROM THE BIBLE
A. Jonah
Jonah 1:1-4
1Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before Me.
3But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa;
and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
4But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like (= was likely / was about) to be broken.
--> When we make a wrong major decision - we no longer feel close to God:
God caused things to go badly for Jonah.
He sent a storm into his life.
B. The same happened to BALAAM - when he went to curse the Israelites in Numbers 22:22-27 & 32
Verses 22-27
22And God’s anger was kindled because he (= Balaam) went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him.
Now he was riding upon his ass (= his donkey), and his two servants were with him.
23And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand:
and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote (= beat / struck) the ass, to turn her into the way.
24But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.
25And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself unto the wall,
and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall: and he smote her again.
26And the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
27And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam’s anger was kindled (= he was angry), and he smote the ass with a staff.
…
Verse 32
32And the angel of the LORD said unto him (= Balaam), Wherefore (= why) hast thou smitten thine ass these three times?
Behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse (= contrary) before Me.
--> To Balaam - 'normal, everyday things' were going wrong:
Q - But who was causing these mishaps?
A - The angel, sent by God.
So if:
Things are going particularly badly in our lives.
We don’t feel close to God.
... we should ask ourselves:
‘Am I going against God’s plan?’
If we knowingly & persistently go against God’s will - we can end up hurt like Balaam. (v.25)
But it’s never too late - like Balaam & Jonah in the subsequent Bible passages, we can change our direction and come back into line with God’s guidance.
PERSONAL EXAMPLE
We were due to go on holiday abroad.
A few days before leaving home, I received an email from a Christian charity we support - announcing the opening of a new facility in that country and inviting their supporters to attend.
I thought it would be good to attend, but when we arrived in the that country I realised it would involve a three-hour drive.
So I decided instead to head in a DIFFERENT direction.
(Towards the beach, a bit like Jonah.)
Things then went BADLY!
On the drive to the coast - our children were arguing in the back seat of the car, there was a torrential rainstorm, and we felt a complete lack of peace.
So we decided to turn-off and drive to the opening of the new Christian facility.
As soon as we made the turn, a great sense of PEACE descended on us.
Our children stopped arguing, the rain stopped, and the sun shone!
We ended up having a much BETTER time by FOLLOWING God’s plan.
He blessed us with great places to stay & some great experiences.
(Including a lovely beach, which was better than the one we'd been driving towards originally!)
Proverbs 16:7 ~ When a man's ways please the LORD, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.
Colossians 3:15 ~ And let the peace of God rule in your hearts (= act as umpire when we’re faced with a decision), to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
Further reading
Exodus 14:24-25, 15:26, 32:35
Leviticus 26
Numbers 21:4-7
Deuteronomy 6:17-19
2 Samuel 21:1-2
1 Kings 2:3-4, 11:9, 14 & 23-25 (King Solomon)
2 Kings 6:33, 13:2-3
1 Chronicles 21:7 then 1-12 & 14
2 Chronicles 19:2 (King Jehoshaphat)
2 Chronicles 21:10-18 (King Jehoram)
2 Chronicles 24:20 & 23-24 (King Joash)
2 Chronicles 26:3-5 (King Uzziah)
2 Chronicles 33:9-13 (King Manasseh)
Ezra 5:12, 9:7
Nehemiah 1:8-9, 9:26-30, 13:17-18
Psalms 9:20, 18:25-26, 32:8-9, 78:32-25 & 19
Psalms 106:24-29, 107:11-12
Proverbs 3:11-12, 11:3, 12:1-2, 28:1-2 & 14
Isaiah 48:18 & 22, 57:21, 59:8, 65:10-14, 66:4
Jeremiah 2:15-19, 6:19, 8:14-15, 22:15-16, 30:4-15, 32:23, 40:2-3, 42:6
Lamentations 1:5 & 8, 3:42-47, 5:16
Ezekiel 8:6, 14:13, 15:8, 43:8-9
Amos 4:6-11
Habakkuk 1:6-12
John 12:26, 13:17, 15:10-11
1 John 3:19-21
Romans 8:14 ~ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons (= children) of God.
God’s our Father.
So like any good father - we should expect God to guide us.
Like when our parents showed us how to: ride a bike / cook / tie our shoelaces etc.
Q - How do we KNOW what the Holy Spirit is telling us to do?
A - By an INNER FEELING that we should:
Do / don't do something.
Go / not go somewhere.
Acts 8:29 ~ Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
Example
I was in London one Saturday and felt led to visit a particular church café for lunch.
On arrival, I discovered that a very well-known & anointed Christian singer / songwriter was leading a worship session there, at that particular time.
If I had not obeyed the leading of the Holy Spirit, I would have missed out on joining in the excellent worship!
Once we’ve had this type of experience - we can recognise other, similar leadings of the Holy Spirit.
Further reading
Judges 13:24-25
1 Samuel 14:6-7
Nehemiah 9:20
Isaiah 63:14
Luke 2:25-27, 4:1
John 10:4, 16:13
Acts 1:2
Galatians 2:1-2
Job 33:14-15
14For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.
15In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed.
When Jesus was born - God guided Joseph via dreams FIVE TIMES.
(Matthew 1:20-21, 2:12-13 & 19-23)
Not all dreams are from God - eating: fruitcake / dried fruit / cheese etc. before we go to bed can also give us vivid dreams!
But some dreams are from God.
Q - How do we know if a dream is from God?
A - When we wake up, we’ll know what God was telling us: the meaning will be obvious.
Example
I was having a difficult relationship with someone in church - for no apparent reason.
God then showed me in a dream the great pressure that person was under - which wasn’t widely known.
I could then change how to communicate with that person, which greatly improved our relationship.
If God speaks to us in a dream, we should WRITE IT DOWN - so we don't forget it!
Daniel 7:1 ~ In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream …
Further reading
Genesis 20:3 & 6-7, 31:24 & 29
Acts 18:9-18
For example - in Jeremiah 24, God used pictures of:
Good figs = People who obeyed God
Bad figs = People who disobeyed God
Example one
On two separate occasions, I didn’t know which car to buy.
So I prayed, and both times God gave me a picture of someone:
On the first occasion - the person’s initials spelt the name of a car model.
On the second occasion - the person’s initials spelt the name of a car firm.
I bought those cars for a good price and they were just what we needed - even though I hadn’t previously thought about buying those particular cars.
Example two
I asked God if I should buy something I wanted. (Which if the purchase went ahead, would cost me a lot of money.)
Immediately, I saw a picture of someone I knew - his name is Noel.
God was saying No and signing it with His name El --> I got the message not to buy!
How do we INTERPRET the picture?
A - Look at the big, simple message.
God uses pictures which mean something to us.
So if we see a picture and don't quickly understand the message - the picture’s probably not from God:
God wants to guide us.
Not turn us into detectives / code-breakers!
Further reading
Numbers 24:16
1 Samuel 3:1 & 10-15
Revelation 1:19-20
Psalm 77:20 ~ Thou (= God) leddest Thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
A. God guided the people.
B. But He did so via Moses & Aaron.
Further reading
Isaiah 63:11-12
Illustration - it’s like:
A. Railway staff in a signal box (= 'God') decide when a train should stop and when it can go.
B. But they use signals (= 'Other People') to communicate their instructions to the train driver (= 'Us').
We should ALSO listen to people who can give us GOOD ADVICE
Proverbs 12:15 ~ The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel (= listens attentively to advice) is wise.
--> Similar to how we can learn how to do something new, by watching a video of an expert who's done it before.
Further reading
Psalm 78:70-72
Proverbs 11:14, 15:22, 19:20, 20:18, 24:6, 27:9
We all have BLIND SPOTS
It's like how we need another person, to tell us that we've spilt food on our face!
MOSES also had a blind spot
Exodus 18:13-19
13And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.
14And when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people?
Why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?
15And Moses said unto his father-in-law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God:
16When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and His laws.
17And Moses’ father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is NOT GOOD.
18Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.
19Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: …
--> Moses’ blind spot was that he was working too hard & burning himself out:
His father in law could see this.
So he told Moses that he needed to delegate.
This delegation then worked much better for everyone.
Q - WHOM should we take advice from?
A - WISE people
We can learn from Rehoboam’s mistake - when he became king after his father (Solomon) died, in 2 Chronicles 10:
Verses 1-5
1And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for to Shechem were all Israel come to make him king.
2And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of Solomon the king, heard it, that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt.
3And they sent and called him. So Jeroboam and all Israel came and spake to Rehoboam saying,
4Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude (= harsh labour) of thy father,
and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee.
5And he (= Rehoboam) said unto them, Come again unto me after three days. And the people departed.
--> The people asked Rehoboam to treat them better than his father Solomon had.
Verses 6-7
6And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people?
7And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever.
--> The MATURE people gave Rehoboam GOOD advice.
--> Like Moses' father-in-law gave Moses good advice.
Verse 8
8But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him.
--> Rehoboam ignored the advice of the elders, and then listened to the advice of men his own age.
--> Why would these young men be able to offer good advice?
They had no more experience than Rehoboam.
Verses 9-11
9And he said unto them, What advice give ye that we may return answer to this people, which have spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father did put upon us?
10And the young men that were brought up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou answer the people that spake unto thee, saying,
Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it somewhat lighter for us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins.
11For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to (= add to) your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
--> The YOUNG men gave BAD advice: to treat the people more harshly.
Verses 16 & 19
16And when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David?
and we have none inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: and now, David, see to thine own house. So all Israel went to their tents.
…
19And Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.
--> The bad advice from the young men split the kingdom into two: Israel & Judah.
--> So we shouldn't automatically follow the advice which other people give us.
Further reading
2 Samuel 13:1-21
2 Chronicles 24:17-18
Ecclesiastes 7:5
Instead - we should weigh up the:
Character
Maturity
Motives
... of the adviser.
Example
The advice from a sales person who's paid by commission, will usually be influenced by what’s best for them - not just by what’s best for the customer!
So we should try to find Godly people we can get advice from.
Like for subjects they know about - we ask for advice from a: doctor / mechanic / plumber etc.
#1 - Via the Bible.
#2 - Via peace in our hearts / things going well or via lack of peace / things going badly.
#3 - Via the Holy Spirit to our spirit.
#4 - Via dreams (when we're asleep).
#5 - Via pictures (when we’re awake).
#6 - Via other people.
Daniel 2:15-16
15He (= Daniel) answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
16Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation.
My experience has been that God guides us in a CALM & GENTLE way:
He won’t force us to make big decisions in a rush.
He’s patient - He’ll keep speaking to us until our doubt goes, and we can then obey Him with peace in our heart.
Numbers 22:7-8
7And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.
8And he (= Balaam) said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the LORD shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.
If we feel under a lot of pressure to act quickly - it’s worth PAUSING, to CHECK if this really is God speaking to us.
‘Act in haste, repent at leisure’ isn't from the Bible, but is a sensible wisdom.
Further reading
Proverbs 21:5
If we’re not sure about something:
We can ask God to confirm what we should do.
Especially for big decisions.
Example A - JONATHAN
1 Samuel 14
Verses 6-10
6And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised:
it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.
7And his armour-bearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.
8Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them (= let them see us).
9If they say thus unto us, Tarry (= wait) until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them.
10But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the LORD hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us.
--> Jonathan wanted to attack the Philistines.
--> But he needed CONFIRMATION that God would support him.
So he declared that if the Philistines said:
'Phrase A' = a sign from God to attack.
'Phrase B' = a sign from God not to attack.
Q - What happened?
Verses 11-13
11And both of them discovered (= showed) themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines:
and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves.
12And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armour-bearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing (= teach you a lesson).
And Jonathan said unto his armour-bearer, Come up after me: for the LORD hath delivered them into the hand of Israel.
13And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armour-bearer after him: and they (= the Philistines) fell before Jonathan; and his armour-bearer slew after him.
--> The Philistines said ‘Phrase A’.
--> So Jonathan attacked and won a great victory.
Example B - GIDEON'S FLEECE
Judges 6
Verses 36-37
36And Gideon said unto God, If Thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as Thou hast said,
37Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in (= on) the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside,
then shall I know that Thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as Thou hast said.
--> Gideon asked God to CONFIRM His word:
by making the fleece wet but the ground dry.
Verse 38
38And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together (= squeezed the fleece), and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.
--> God GAVE the confirmation.
God still does this TODAY!
I asked God to confirm if I should visit a church in a distant country (without specifying what the confirmation should be).
Immediately, a large patch of pure cold water appeared in the middle of my shirt (it was neither sweat nor rain) - the rest of my shirt was completely dry.
I was shocked - but knowing the story of Gideon, I then knew that God was telling me to go ahead!
Verse 39
39And Gideon said unto God, Let not Thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once:
let me prove, I pray Thee, but this once with the fleece (= let me make one more test with the fleece);
let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.
--> Gideon asked God for a second confirmation:
that the ground would be wet, but the fleece would be dry.
Verse 40
40And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.
--> God gave the SECOND confirmation.
I also asked God for a second confirmation
about whether or not to visit that particular church, and then went for a lunchtime walk:
I walked past a parked white van - on the van’s dashboard was a large, hand-written notice.
The notice gave the (very unusual) name of that church’s pastor - followed by the first two letters of the country where that church is.
It sounds bizarre - but nothing is too difficult for God, and He knows how to give us a confirmation which we'll easily understand.
Further reading
Genesis 24:14-19 & 42-46
Judges 7:7-15
Jeremiah 32:6-8
A. We’ve finished - How God GUIDES us.
(75% of the message)
B. Let’s now look at - The importance of OBEYING what God tells us to do.
(25% of the message)
John 15:14 ~ Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
--> If we want to be a FRIEND of Jesus: we must OBEY Him!
Q - So what should we do if we don’t feel close to Jesus?
A - Check back to see if we’ve DISOBEYED Him:
An army general expects his soldiers to obey his battle-plan.
It’s the same with God - He expects us to obey His plan.
Where would we be today, if these folks had disobeyed God:
Noah hadn’t built the Ark?
Moses hadn’t led the Israelites out of Egypt?
The Disciples hadn’t preached the gospel?
Matthew 12:50 ~ For whosoever shall do the will of My Father which is in Heaven, the same is My brother, and sister, and mother.
There are about 150 Bible passages about obeying & disobeying God!
Genesis 6:22, 7:5, 22:20:7, 15-18, 24:49-51, 26:3-5, 31:16
Exodus 7:6 & 10, 12:50-51, 23:20-22, 34:11, 39:42-43
Leviticus 8:36, 10:1-2, 22:31, 25:17-19
Numbers 1:54, 2:34, 5:4, 12:7-8, 14:22-24, 23:20 & 26, 32:11-12
Deuteronomy 1:24-36 & 42-44, 4:40, 5:27-33, 6:1-3 & 17-19, 7:11-16, 8:1-2 & 20, 10:12-13
Deuteronomy 11:1, 8-9, 13-28 & 32, 12:28 & 32, 13:4, 15:4-5, 26:14-18, 27:10, 30:8 & 20
Joshua 1:7-8, 5:6, 11:15, 14:14, 24:24
Judges 6:10, 13:14
1 Samuel 2:35, 12:14-15, 13:13-14
1 Kings 2:1-4, 3:14, 6:11-13, 8:61, 9:4-9, 11:9-14, 23-25 & 38, 14:7-12, 20:42
2 Kings 16:1-6, 18:1, 6-7 & 9-12, 23:1-3
1 Chronicles 22:13, 28:6-8, 29:19
2 Chronicles 7:17-22, 11:4, 12:1-7, 14:2-4, 17:3-6, 24:20-24, 27:6, 28:1-8, 13 & 18-19
2 Chronicles 30:6-7, 33:9-13, 34:21, 24-25 & 31-32, 36:5-20
Ezra 7:10 & 23
Nehemiah 10:29
Job 36:11-12
Psalms 37:34, 40:8, 81:11-16, 89:30-32
Psalms 99:6-7, 111:10, 112:1-3, 143:10
Proverbs 3:1-2
Isaiah 1:2-7 & 19-20, 3:8-11, 5:24-25, 24:5-6, 42:24-25
Jeremiah 3:25, 7:23-28, 9:12-15, 11:4-8, 12:17, 19:15, 25:7-11
Jeremiah 26:4-6 & 13, 32:23, 35:5-19, 42:1-6 & 20-22, 44:23, 50:21
Ezekiel 2:3-4 & 7-8, 5:7-13, 20:19, 33:31-32, 36:27, 37:24, 44:24
Daniel 7:27, 9:5-14
Hosea 9:17
Amos 2:4
Zephaniah 3:1-2
Haggai 1:12-13
Zechariah 1:4, 6:15, 7:12-14
Malachi 2:9, 3:7
Matthew 1:24, 6:10, 7:21-27, 9:9, 28:20
Mark 3:35
Luke 1:5-6, 6:46-49, 8:21, 11:27-28, 12:47, 22:42
John 4:34, 6:38, 8:31, 14:15, 21-24 & 31, 17:6
Acts 5:29
1 Corinthians 7:19
Ephesians 5:6
Hebrews 10:7 & 9, 13:20-21
1 Peter 1:2
1 John 2:3-5 & 17, 3:24, 5:2-3
2 John 4 & 6
Revelation 22:7, 9 & 14
Let’s now learn from the difference between King SAUL & King DAVID.
Verse 1
1Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over His people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD.
--> Samuel told Saul to hearken to God (= to pay close attention to what He said).
Verse 2
2Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he (= Israel) came up from Egypt.
The background is Deuteronomy 25:17-19 ~ the Amalekites killed the weak stragglers at the back of the Israelites.
So what did God tell Saul to do?
Verse 3
3Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.
--> God told Saul to kill every Amalekite and all their animals.
Q - Did Saul OBEY God?
Verse 9
9But Saul and the people spared Agag (= king of the Amalekites), and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen,
and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them:
but everything that was vile and refuse (= undesirable & worthless), that they destroyed utterly.
--> Saul DISOBEYED God.
Q - So what did God do?
Verses 10-11
10Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,
11It repenteth Me (= I regret) that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following Me, and hath not performed My commandments.
And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.
--> God decided that Saul was NO LONGER FIT to be king, so Samuel told Saul:
Verse 23
23For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, He hath also rejected thee from being king.
--> Saul DISOBEYED God, so God found a NEW king: David.
Q - WHY did Saul disobey God?
Verse 24
24And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.
--> Saul’s mistake was to fear & obey people MORE than he feared & obeyed God.
--> Let’s not do the same!
Further reading about Saul disobeying God and the consequences
1 Samuel 16:14-15
1 Chronicles 10:13-14
Q - What did Peter and the other apostles do, after the High Priest told them not to teach in the name of Jesus?
Acts 5:29 ~ Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
In the same way, when there's a conflict - WE should always obey God, rather than people.
Q - Why?
A - Jesus explained:
Matthew 10:28 ~ And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
--> People can only harm us in this life.
--> But God can cast us into hell - that’s much worse, and something we should all fear!
Verses 9-10a
9And the Philistines came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.
10And David enquired of God, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? And wilt Thou deliver them into mine hand?
--> David didn’t know if he should attack.
--> So he ASKED GOD for guidance.
Verses 10b-11
10 (cont.) And the LORD said unto him, Go up; for I will deliver them into thine hand.
11So they came up to Baalperazim; and David smote (= defeated) them there.
--> David was SUCCESSFUL, because he:
A. Asked God for guidance.
B. Obeyed what God told him to do.
Verses 13-15
13And the Philistines yet again spread themselves abroad (= made a raid) in the valley.
14Therefore David enquired again of God; and God said unto him, Go not up after them; turn away from them, and come upon them over against (= in front of) the mulberry trees.
15And it shall be, when thou shalt hear a sound of going (= a sound of marching) in the tops of the mulberry trees,
that then thou shalt go out to battle: for God is gone forth before thee to smite the host (= army) of the Philistines.
--> David didn’t assume that he should do the same again - so he asked God for fresh guidance.
This time, God gave him a DIFFERENT plan:
So we should keep asking God to guide us.
God may want us to do something new!
Verses 16-17
16David therefore did as God commanded him: and they smote the host of the Philistines from Gibeon even to Gazer.
17And the fame of David went out into all lands; and the LORD brought the fear of him upon all nations.
--> To be successful - like David - we need to:
A. Ask God to guide us.
B. Obey Him.
Only then, is He truly Lord of our lives.
Further reading about David’s obedience
1 Samuel 30:8-9 then 18-19
2 Samuel 2:1-2
Acts 13:22
John 2:5 ~ His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever He (= Jesus) saith unto you, do it.
--> That’s what we all need to do!
Amen