Requisites For, And Hindrances To, Divine Guidance
Some Helps For, And Stumbling Blocks To, Divine Guidance
God desires to help and guide each one of us. Let us look at a number of things that will either help or hinder us from receiving God’s guidance.
Foundational Elements Of Divine Guidance {1} and Additional Means Of Divine Guidance {2} are two previous articles that God has helped me to write and place on the Internet loaded with concise but needful information for those who really want to know about the workings of God in their life or in the life of someone else. They were based on notes by brother Walter Beuttler {3} who had taught at Northeast Bible Institute.
Brother Beuttler wrote, “There is an unconditional guidance in which God acts in sovereignty without any requisite for such guidance, and regardless of man’s attitude.” For this, he cited Isaiah 45:1-5, 9-13 where we see God doing a number of things for, and through, Cyrus in order “that you may know that it is I, YHVH (The Existing One), the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.”
Continuing, brother Beuttler wrote, “There is a conditional guidance in which the leading of God is contingent upon man’s compliance with certain conditions.” He used Isaiah 58:10-11a as an example, which states, “And if you give yourself to the hungry And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness And your gloom will become like midday. 11 And YHVH (The Existing One) will continually guide you”.
So there are times that guidance from God is more receivable, less receivable, or not receivable due to our actions, attitude of mind, or condition of being. Our instructor mapped out some requisites and hindrances for divine guidance which are listed below. I made some modifications which included adding two of what I learned on my own. Brother Beuttler simply listed requisites and hindrances with Holy Scripture references.
In some cases I chose different verses. He made no observations on any, but I will.
Requisites For Divine Guidance
Recognition Of Our Need - Luke 1:79
“To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
While most of us can think of many needs we might have, we are all born with the same common major need which is to enter into true peace with God {4}. This is accomplished by completely trusting in God through the finished work for our complete salvation in Christ. But though we have initial peace with God upon initial salvation, we must endeavor to keep peace with God (Romans 8:7 and James 4:4).
We need ongoing peace with God. This should be a main reason {5} why any true disciple would seek divine guidance in a variety of situations. If we truly love God then we should endeavor to please Him in word, deed, and our entire being.
Acknowledgment Of God - Proverbs 3:6
“In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.”
Every true Christian knows that God exist, but very few acknowledge Him in ALL their ways. All means all. To do that we must not only have a head knowledge that God is everywhere, but a personal knowledge that He is everywhere, and that we should please Him Who we love in all ways. Sadly, many apply for jobs, move to a new location, get married, and even more without giving God much thought.
Acknowledging Him in all our ways includes being ready to hear from Him, and obey, in the usual things of life. Perhaps, when getting dressed, you might hear God say put something else on. Scoff not at that, especially in the times we live in when people are hypersensitive and will try to kill you for putting on a color that links you in their warped mind to some cause or person they hate. Acknowledging God in all things helps to grow respect and trust for Him in ourselves, and in some others.
Meekness Of Spirit - Psalm 25:9 AV
“The meek will He guide in judgment: and the meek will He teach His way.”
We might be smart, physically strong, have powerful influence, or anything else, but we ought to lay such aside and be totally dependent upon God to direct, empower, and more. Meekness is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit that Jesus displayed after His arrest and right to His last breath upon the cross. He knew the will of the Father, and He also knew, and trusted, the ability of the Father to raise Him from the dead.
But, think back. He displayed meekness when tempted by Satan, not doing a thing based upon the fact that He is the Son Of God, but being totally reliant upon the Father. And, think further back. God as the Son willingly becomes a baby, dependent upon the heavenly Father and the work of the Holy Spirit through Joseph and Mary. And all this and more was not just an example to follow. It is the very life, His actual life within, that we are to live.
Sole Dependence On, And An Attachment To, God - Deuteronomy 32:12 9-11
“For YHVH’s (The Existing One) portion is His people;
Jacob is the allotment of His inheritance.
10 He found him in a desert land,
And in the howling waste of a wilderness;
He encircled him, He cared for him,
He guarded him as the pupil of His eye.
11 Like an eagle that stirs up its nest,
That hovers over its young,
He spread His wings and caught them,
He carried them on His pinions.
12 YHVH (The Existing One) alone guided him,
And there was no foreign god with him.”
One might think this is the same as meekness. However, one can be meek but not be dependent upon God. With meekness must come sole dependence upon God, which is rooted in attachment to God. Attachment to God can only be made by Christ, Who is all man and all God.
Sometime back the Baileys who were of Zion Fellowship International (the Baileys have since graduated to their eternal inheritance) were in dire need of food. However, they were clearly told by God they were to tell no one. They obeyed. They waited. If my memory serves me correctly they waited over a week. They finally received their needed food, and all during their wait holy meekness grew within them.
Willingness To Obey - John 7:17
“If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself.”
The walk in Christ is a growing one. I know for a fact there were many times I knew to obey, but was reluctant. It still occasionally happens, and that must not be, because if we love God then we should willingly obey Him at all times. Thank God that God is merciful and patient!
We do need to condition ourselves to willingly obey. The more willing we are, the more receptive we will be to His precious guidance. If we are not willing to obey when we deem the will of God is something we do not like, then we will be less receptive when we need to receive things like guidance for protection.
A “biggy” here is forgiveness. We really do not need a vision, prophet, sign from heaven, or anything else to know we are to forgive from our heart. It is written, a number of times, in the Holy Bible. If you have read the previous article, the Holy Bible in a good literal translation is a foundational means of divine guidance and is the supreme standard by which all other means of divine guidance must be evaluated.
Compassion For Others - Isaiah 58:10-11a
“And if you give yourself to the hungry And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness And your gloom will become like midday. 11 And YHVH (The Existing One) will continually guide you”.
As we read the entirety of the Word of God we see that our compassion should be Holy Spirit birthed and directed. In the earthly realm there are no doubt billions with bona fide needs. No one person can do it all, even if they just send money. There is an overwhelming number of types of needs. Add to this others whose needs are not bona fide.
Also, keep in mind that the greatest needs are spiritual. Unsaved people, whether they know it or not, are spiritually blind, hungry, thirsty, diseased and more. With that though, it is needful to keep in mind that though a true disciple of Christ is saved we still constantly need Him. Spirit birthed and directed compassion toward others helps to keep the channel from God to us open in receiving spiritual blessing from Him, including divine guidance.
Faithfulness - Amos 7:14b-15
“I was no prophet, nor a prophet's son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. 15 But YHVH (The Existing One) took me from following the flock, and YHVH (The Existing One) said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’”
If we want to know God’s specific will at some point, it is best that we do, and continue to do, His known will and do it faithfully. Each Christian is at their own level and speed in these matters and wherever we are spiritually at we ought to be faithful in those areas and seek to become more active as well as ready to get involved in other realms,
The basic known will of God is revealed in the written Word of God. There some things a true Christians should be (like crucified, risen, ready to hear, humble). There are many things we should be doing. The foundational ones include worshiping, praying, studying the Word of God, sharing the Gospel, and spiritually building up other Christians. We are to put off sin, worldliness, the spirit of heaviness and put upon us the righteous acts of Christ, godliness, praise, power and more.
Hindrances To Divine Guidance
No one is perfect. But if we are truly in Christ the grace of God covers us, and we also must keep in mind grace empowers us to become more like Christ. As God is faithful to cover us we ought to be faithful in applying the life of Christ to our lives. With Christ within we must eliminate and avoid hindrances to divine guidance. Some hindrances are mentioned below and, as you see, a number are the opposite of some listed above. Where some of the same verses are used I will not rewrite them unless there is a need for clarity.
Self-sufficiency - Proverbs 3:5
“Trust in YHVH (The Existing One) with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.”
Elements of the world often attempt to shame a Christian by saying that God is their crutch. I would respond, “No. He is more than a crutch. He is my breath, the beat of my heart, my very life.” Adam and Eve gave-in to the call of self-sufficiency. We are designed to always need God. This does not mean we do not have any responsibility. Our responsibility is to trust God and lovingly do what He says.
Selfishness - Isaiah 58:10-11
If we want to be better able to receive divine guidance then our focus must be upon God and His glory. In regard to others, so there is no mis-understanding, there are times when others come before ourselves, but never at the expense of our spiritual well being. In all, we must be God-centered and not self-centered (and even others-centered).
Stubbornness - Psalm 32:8-9
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. 9 Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, Otherwise they will not come near to you.”
This, of course, is the opposite of willingness to allow God to lead. This passage points to the condition of our sin nature that really does not want to get near to God. Self wants to be in charge and self wants to enjoy sin. God equates stubbornness with idolatry (1 Samuel 15:23).
Disobedience - Zechariah 7:1-7
“In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of YHVH (The Existing One) came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. 2 Now the town of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and their men to seek the favor of YHVH (The Existing One), 3 speaking to the priests who belong to the house of YHVH (The Existing One) of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, "Shall I weep in the fifth month and abstain, as I have done these many years?" 4 Then the word of YHVH (The Existing One) of hosts came to me, saying, 5 "Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years, was it actually for Me that you fasted? 6 “'When you eat and drink, do you not eat for yourselves and do you not drink for yourselves? 7 'Are not these the words which YHVH (The Existing One) proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous along with its cities around it, and the Negev and the foothills were inhabited?'"
As you see, God gave no direct answer to whether or not they should fast. Along with pointing to the fact the Jews were really not seeking His glory while in captivity (verse 5), He confronted them with their continual disobedience. Continual disobedience is highly dangerous. It is actually rebellion against God and leads to spiritual witchcraft (again, 1 Samuel 15:23).
Insincerity - Jeremiah 42:20
“For you have only deceived yourselves; for it is you who sent me to YHVH (The Existing One) your God, saying, "Pray for us to YHVH (The Existing One) our God; and whatever YHVH (The Existing One) our God says, tell us so, and we will do it."”
What happened here were the Jews that were left after many others were exiled to Babylon asked Jeremiah to ask God whether they should stay in the land or go down to Egypt. Jeremiah agreed. After the appointed time he called them back and said God said they were to remain. Well, they candidly expressed the fact to Jeremiah that their mind was already made up and they were going to Egypt anyway!
By the Holy Spirit Jeremiah said they had only deceived themselves. That is also very dangerous, because the deception will become stronger if one does not repent and begin obeying God in His known will. And it all begins with insincerity, even just a little bit of lip service to God.
And, if we carefully read the Holy Scriptures we will see that one is not necessarily sincere even though they weep and cry. One can be sincere without weeping and crying, moaning and groaning. True repentance is proven my corrective action.
Impatience - Psalm 106:13-14
“They quickly forgot His works; They did not wait for His counsel, 14 But craved intensely in the wilderness, And tempted God in the desert.”
Though delivered from Egypt and through the Red Sea by the mighty hand of God, sadly their focus was upon their immediate earthly need and not upon the eternal God Who cared enough to rescue them from Egypt and the Egyptians. Yes, a million people in a desert without fresh water is a tremendous need, but God is always greater than our need. Impatience can very well interrupt the work of God.
People today are just as impatient, if not more so. Many of us live in a fast-paced world. However, oftentimes God does “slow cooking.” You do know that food sometimes tastes better if you slow cook it. A delay in guidance is sometimes geared toward increasing our trust, faith, and other things. This is one way our old nature is crucified and the life of Christ grows within us.
Inactivity In His Known Will - Ephesians 5:16-17
“making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
Each true Christian is a priest before God (Revelation 1:6). We always have something to do for His glory and to bless His kingdom. I have listed some of those things above under the sub-heading “Faithfulness”. While inactivity in His known will is a sign there is something spiritually wrong in the inner man (like lovelessness for God, fear, laziness, etc.), it gives one less opportunity to seek God or to hear from Him.
A true Christian has many purposes in God’s Kingdom. We see from the Holy Scriptures we are to grow in Christ. As we grow in Christ we will be used more by Him. Being well able to receive guidance from God enables us to be trained, protected, and strengthened by. We need to respond, and respond well to God’s direction lest we hear (Matthew 25:30 ESV), “And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Instead, with a very loving and grateful heart toward God, let us ever endeavor to hear (Matthew 25: 21 and 23 ESV), “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.”
Notes:
{1} Please read Foundational Elements Of Divine Guidance at https://newsandsociety.expertscolumn.com/foundational-elements-of-divine-guidance .
{2} Please also read Foundational Elements Of Divine Guidance at https://newsandsociety.expertscolumn.com/additional-means-of-divine-guidance .
{3} Beuttler, Walter: Divine Guidance
{4} Please read Precious Principles Of The Peace Of God at https://newsandsociety.expertscolumn.com/precious-principles-of-the-peace-of-god .
{5} The other main reason is to give God glory in all that we do and are.
Unless otherwise noted all Holy Scripture is from the New American Standard Bible changing LORD to YHVH as it rightly should be when the text so indicates and adding “(The Existing One)” to readily express the meaning of His Name without making repeated explanations in articles. * = For other versions the spelling of some words is updated for our time in addition to changing LORD to YHVH as it rightly should be when the text so indicates.
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