Hearing from God; 11 Scriptures on God’s Guidance
Hearing from God
11 Scriptures on God’s Guidance
I found myself traveling a long stretch of back country road early one morning on my way to work. The sun had just peaked its’ head above the thick white clouds and the trees and surrounding greenery glistened from the visiting rainstorms the night before.
I was attempting to log every detail of this beautiful Florida morning into my memory when my eyes stumbled upon a large, flat field to my right. The owners of this property used it for cattle, and this morning livestock could be seen up and down the lusciously green terrain as far as the eye could see. Some of the occupying wildlife stood in thick green patches of grassland, some rested under the protective shade of the trees, and others stood in large water puddles nearly shoulder deep.
It was the livestock standing in the water puddles which reminded me of the story of Abraham and Lot in the book of Genesis. Chapter twelve of this book in the Bible tells us of a man named Abraham who God spoke to, telling him to leave his father’s house and go into a land he was to later be shown. With this commandment God promised to bless Abraham and make of him a great nation.
Abraham listened to the voice of the Lord and left the land of his father, taking his nephew Lot with him. The story goes on to tell that Abraham was a wealthy man, having an abundance of silver, gold, and cattle. His nephew also prospered, having flocks, herds, and tents. Together, Abraham and Lot had more than the land they were abiding in could hold.
“And Abram (Abraham) said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? Separate thyself, I pray thee, from me; if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, and it was well watered every where.’”
Lot, given the choice, chose to take all of the plains of Jordan for his new dwelling place. The Bible states that Lot “pitched his tent toward Sodom,” a land full of wicked men who sinned greatly before the Lord.
Abraham stayed in the land of Canaan and listened for the voice of the Lord, which came upon Lot’s departure.
Abraham and Lot both had a choice to make. The approach they took in making their choice was vastly different.
Lot chose the well-watered plains because they ‘looked’ appealing. Abraham stayed where he was and waited on the voice of the Lord. It was only upon the prompting of God that Abraham removed his tent from where it was and began his journey to the land he had been directed.
The outcome of Abraham and Lot’s choices differed as well.
Lot’s choice placed his family in a land that appeared beautiful and fruitful on the outside, though it was truly full of wickedness and evil. God destroyed those cities because of their ungodly ways. Lot and his two daughters barely escaped the destruction.
The outcome of Abraham’s choice can be found in Genesis 24:1. “And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.”
Lot’s choice, made with his eyes, brought turmoil and destruction upon his family.
Abraham’s decision, made by trusting in the Lord and waiting on the Lord’s direction, brought him blessing in all things.
We can glean a great deal of knowledge from this example in the Bible.
Life’s twists and turns will undoubtedly lead us to places much like that of where Abraham and Lot found themselves when they had outgrown the land and were forced to move on. When we face these times, it is good to know how to make the right choice.
Like the well-watered plains of Jordan, some wondrous opportunities may present themselves to us as being a “must take” kind of deal. In fact, passing the opportunity by may seem almost like throwing away perfectly good blessings.
In these times, when we may be unsure of what direction to take, we can learn from the example of Abraham.
Abraham Stayed in Canaan Until He Heard God’s Voice
“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”
“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
After Hearing from God, Abraham Believed What God Spoke to Him
“And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.”
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.”
Abraham Acted in Obedience to God’s Direction
“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”
“But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.”
Abraham Was Blessed for His Obedience in Listening to God’s Guidance
“That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”
“And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.”
When life decisions hang in the balance and the “well-watered plains” seem to call out to us so eloquently, we can look to the story of Abraham and Lot for direction.
The paths that seem prosperous and appealing to the eye may in reality lead to a life away from God and His will for our lives.
However, if we put into practice the characteristics portrayed by Abraham and allow God to direct our paths, we will have an outcome that greatly resembles Abraham’s – we will be “blessed in all things.”