COVENANTS OF GUIDANCE AND DIRECTION

“I will INSTRUCT you and TEACH you in the way you should go; I will GUIDE you with My eye” – Psalm 32:8

GOD, the Shepherd of our souls, is committed to the COVENANTS of GUIDANCE and DIRECTION: “I will INSTRUCT you and TEACH you in the way you should go; I will GUIDE you with My eye” (Psa.32:8). This is His provision for those who are willing to receive Him by faith and follow His leading. He wants to teach, instruct, and guide us in the way in which He would have us to go, while keeping a watchful eye on us. He will not leave us to ourselves for He knows without His direction and watchful eyes, like sheep, we will stray away from the path of righteousness. He knows the way that we should take, and after we’ve been tested and tried, for a little time, we shall come forth as gold (Job 23:10).

Direction is vital to not getting lost. Many are lost today because they refuse: to be taught by God; to go the way in which He has mapped out in His Word; to be guided by His eyes. Instead, they choose to be guided by what their eyes see in the world and follow after worldly counsel. Man can instruct, but it takes the Holy Spirit to receive wisdom and revelation (Jh.14:26; 16:13-15; 1Cor.2:10-16; Eph.1:17). Life is like an unmarked road with blind turns, junctions, and crossings. We pass along this road once, and need the Shepherd’s guidance to make the right choices and decisions. Knowing this, David often prayed for direction: “Show me Your WAYS, O LORD; teach me Your PATHS. Lead me in Your TRUTH and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day” (Ps.25:4-5).

God’s Word contains numerous assurances of Divine Guidance and Direction. Here are a few:

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psa.119:105).

“But the PATH of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day” (Pro.4:18).

“‘I will go before you and make the crooked places straight…” (Isa.45:2a). If we acknowledge God in all of our ways, He will straighten all crooked paths: “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Pro.3:6).

“And though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, but your eyes shall see your teachers. Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the WAY, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left” (Isa.30: 20-21).

“Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the WAY you should go” (Isa.48:17).

“Thus says the Lord: “Stand in the WAYS and see, and ask for the OLD PATHS, where the GOOD WAY is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls…” (Jer.6:16a).

Spiritually parched and in need of direction, David said: “He leads me beside the still waters…in the paths of righteousness” (Psa.23: 2-3). God wants us to follow the path that He has laid out before us but we can only see it in the Light – in Christ. There is none brighter than the Son of God Who says: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (Jh. 8:12). The path of righteousness is found in Christ alone (Acts 4:12). David prayed: “Uphold my steps in Your paths, that my footsteps may not slip” (Psa.17:5). Having discovered divine direction, may we not veer or slip from it; may our feet hold fast to the paths that God ordained for us to step and walk in, in Jesus name!

Life’s paths could be hazardous when we decide to choose our own ways but “All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies” (Psa.25:10). Our faithful Shepherd gently leads and guides the sheep of His pasture in the best way that we should go. He knows us by name and all of our needs and necessities. He is aware of the dangers that stalk our paths. No matter how tense and restive life may be, the Shepherd of our souls will lead us aright. He’ll replace confusion with direction into the right paths and to His ordained destinations. Having Him as our Shepherd in this life, we need not wander aimlessly. He’ll guide and guard us with His eternal eyes to fully and accurately fulfil destiny!