Tag Archives: direction

Guided by the Holy Spirit – Acts 16:6-10

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In Acts 16:6-10 we see throughout the passage Paul and Silas are constantly guided by the Holy Spirit.  They have allowed themselves to be open to the guidance of the Spirit, and when the Spirit then gave Paul a vision, they didn’t sit back, trying to decide if they should do anything about it, they simply got up and went!  They obeyed the Holy Spirit and went on to preach the Good News to many who were saved.

Last night at our Lifegroup, we looked further into the sermon that Phil preached on Sunday (I am posting in Fellowship some the rest of my notes on the sermon in the near future). A large emphasis of what we talked about was about the Holy Spirit, and how He strengthens us and guides us, as well as enables us to grow in Him. Looking then at today’s Our Daily Bread reading, I was surprised that Ephesians 2:22 has popped up again (Sunday, Thursday and now Friday)! As you may have read from previous posts, I believe the Lord will repeat Himself as much as it takes so that we will sit up and listen.

22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

The Holy Spirit does live inside us.  Before Jesus death, the only place for God’s Glory was the Holy of Holy’s in the temple at Jerusalem, and yet when Jesus died, the temple curtain was ripped in half, Jesus rose from the grave, and the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the disciples and has continued to be poured out across the world.  The Holy Spirit is there as our guide, like in this passage in Acts.  We need to listen carefully to what He says, and be obedient to His guidance.  If we feel we must share the Gospel with a random person on the street, then we should do so, ignoring the old human fears and impulses, but just trusting in the Lord and His Holy Spirit.  You may only plant a seed, but one day that seed with burst forth life.

Living in a state of obedience to the Holy Spirit is really quite exciting, as we are no longer living a life that we plan out for ourselves!  We are living a life where we don’t know where the Holy Spirit is going to take us next.  That is not to say we shouldn’t try to plan our careers etc, but we should lean heavily on the Holy Spirit for guidance to make the right career choices, family choices, etc.  I pray that I can be as faithful as Paul and Silas and that I will recognise the Holy Spirits voice when He calls and points me in directions, that sometimes I may not want to go.  And I pray that in those situations that the Lord will be Glorified.

Direction – Proverbs 16:1-9

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Proverbs is full of wise words. I’m going to go through line by line noting what I feel the Lord is telling me per verse;

1 We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer. (NLT)

Its true! We can have a perfectly laid out plan for the day, and yet nothing seems to go the way we planned it! Is it just bad planning

? Are we incredibly unlucky, or is it God determining our steps giving us opportunities to share Him with others, to show others how His children react in certain situations, thus witnessing into their lives?

I love the example in the Our Daily Bread reading of a choir that turned up to an old peoples home on the wrong day, only to be asked to sing therefore at one of the residents funeral thus witnessing into the lives of those who attended! Their plan had gone wrong but the result was something that enabled them to glorify the Lord.

2 People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives. (NLT)

There are many times we can convince ourselves how good we are, and how well we are doing. We loose sight of the Lord, and our motives can become self pleasing. We need to make sure we don’t become proud and do things for our own gain. The Lord as in this verse examines our motives and act accordingly.

3 Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.

(NLT)

When we commit our actions to the Lord that will help advance His kingdom and give Him the glory, we will succeed.

4 The Lord has made everything for his own purposes, even the wicked for a day of disaster. (NLT)

First of all no one is exempt from Gods plans, or from His judgement. The actions of the wicked eventually lead to destruction and death.

5 The Lord detests the proud; they will surely be punished. (NLT)

Pride is the opposite to what God wants for us. It gives ourselves credit for things we have achieved, and done. It throws all the good works the Lord has done for us back in His face. Pride is a serious issue in anyones lives. If we are struggling with it, we need to humble ourselves, and give it all to the Lord.

6 Unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin. By fearing the Lord, people avoid evil. (NLT)

Since I came back to the Lord, a healthy fear of Him has developed in my heart. An understanding that he is our almighty, powerful God. It makes sin a far less attractive option in life, and when I do it leads me to throw myself at His mercy seeking his grace and forgiveness. We shouldn’t act as children, seeing how far we can push our parents, but we should be humble, God fearing, seeking to do what pleases Him. Remembering that the hold of sin has been broken by Jesus death on the cross. Thank you Lord.

7 When people’s lives please the Lord, even their enemies are at peace with them. (NLT)

There is always going to be an enemy, for to Satan, we are a problem to him! However when our lives please the Lord, even our enemies will not be able to deny what our Mighty God is doing in our lives!

8 Better to have little, with godliness, than to be rich and dishonest. (NLT)

I have said this in a past reading, wealth and riches don’t last for an eternity. The love of God lasts forever as will those who believe and come into His kingdom. Treasures in Heaven also do not have the same fate as earthly treasure, therefore if we live lives pleasing to the Lord, committing ourselves to His will, His plans, His Glory, we can humbly look forward to riches in heaven as our reward. These are unlikely to be gold and jewels, but riches that we can not understand in our earthly form! I can’t wait!

9 We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. (NLT)

This verse sums up this group nicely. The Lord is in control. He has a plan for our lives. Even though we make plans for the days and weeks, the Lord will direct us even in such a way where our own plans fly out of the window!