Getting God's Guidance

INTRODUCTION:

This past week our staff went down to Livingston Texas for a staff retreat. Throughout the course of those 3 days we did some strategic planning for 2022. The most important thing we did, however, was be refreshed in the Lord and commit ourselves to his plans for Broadview Baptist Church.

This is the second year in a row that we’ve done staff retreat at the very beginning of the year and I was struck by how helpful and clarifying some of the times of worship really were.

The first day of the retreat we had a time of worship to center ourselves on the Lord and put ourselves in a position to hear from him.

As we were worshipping and praying I thought to myself the things we were doing to prepare for a new year is really something every individual would benefit from if they committed themself the to the process.

The truth is, God wants to reveal himself to you. He wants you to know the path he has set out for your life. But in order to draw near to God you have to come to him on HIS terms and not YOURS.

Knowing God’s Will

Have you ever had a season of your life where you really needed to hear from the Lord?

In our day and age there are all sorts of Christian books and sermon series on “discerning the will of God… “ or learning to “hear God’s voice...”

It’s not uncommon for me to get asked questions such as, “how do I know its God’s will for me to move to xyz, or attend this or that college…marry this or that person...”

At the beginning of a new year it’s not uncommon for people to feel the anxiety of uncertainty … especially in these post COVID-19 days.

How am I going to live life without x person at my side?

Now that I’m retired what are things going to look like?

I’m married… we just had a kid… just lost a job/got promoted?

With each new season or challenge comes an added desire to hear from the Lord and KNOW that the Lord is with you and you are walking in accordance with his will.

It’s one thing to know God’s revealed will or his moral will. Those are given to us in Scripture. We have the Law of God written on our heart. But what about those other matters?

Can you be confident that God is with you and for you as you move forward in things that “don’t have a Bible verse?”

The answer is yes. But the way for discovering that will and the way it comes about is maybe not what you would expect.. The blueprint is laid out in Psalm 25.

Who This Message Is/Isn’t For

Before we read our text, let me offer up a qualifier about who this message is and isn’t for.

This Psalm and the wisdom within it were written to people who have come to trust in the Lord and are fully surrendered to his will for all things. Discovering the will of God will only happen in your life when you’re coming from a place of absolute surrender.

This is NOT a message for people who say “I want Jesus to forgive my sins and help me go to heaven when I die but I really don’t know about this business of “absolute surrender.”

Jesus really doesn’t have any business telling me what I can and can’t do with my money/body/children/etc. I’ll take the free ticket to heaven but I don’t want Jesus having control of the major areas of my life.

For that person this Psalm is a warning! It’s a warning against our tendency towards self-control and self-reliance. We don’t twist God’s arm to have him rubber stamp our plans. We humble ourselves and do whatever we can to advance HIS plans.

But what ARE the plans of God for what we watch on TV or where we work or who we marry or the hobbies we have or places we live or cars we drive or clothes we wear or strategies we employ for a new year in the local church.

If we are totally surrendered to what God’s wants, how do we go about discovering the pathway to bring it about? That’s what David is addressing in this Psalm. That is who this sermon is for.

Psalm 25 (CSB)

Of David.

1 Lord, I appeal to you.

2 My God, I trust in you.

Do not let me be disgraced;

do not let my enemies gloat over me.

3 No one who waits for you

will be disgraced;

those who act treacherously without cause

will be disgraced.

4 Make your ways known to me, Lord;

teach me your paths.

5 Guide me in your truth and teach me,

for you are the God of my salvation;

I wait for you all day long.

6 Remember, Lord, your compassion

and your faithful love,

for they have existed from antiquity.

7 Do not remember the sins of my youth

or my acts of rebellion;

in keeping with your faithful love, remember me

because of your goodness, Lord.

8 The Lord is good and upright;

therefore he shows sinners the way.

9 He leads the humble in what is right

and teaches them his way.

10 All the Lord’s ways show faithful love and truth

to those who keep his covenant and decrees.

11 Lord, for the sake of your name,

forgive my iniquity, for it is immense.

12 Who is this person who fears the Lord?

He will show him the way he should choose.

13 He will live a good life,

and his descendants will inherit the land.

14 The secret counsel of the Lord

is for those who fear him,

and he reveals his covenant to them.

15 My eyes are always on the Lord,

for he will pull my feet out of the net.

16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,

for I am alone and afflicted.

17 The distresses of my heart increase;

bring me out of my sufferings.

18 Consider my affliction and trouble,

and forgive all my sins.

19 Consider my enemies; they are numerous,

and they hate me violently.

20 Guard me and rescue me;

do not let me be disgraced,

for I take refuge in you.

21 May integrity and what is right

watch over me,

for I wait for you.

22 God, redeem Israel, from all its distresses.

I want to try and understand this Psalm under three headings...

How To Ask For Guidance...

How The Lord Guides...

How To Receive It Into Your Life...

Be Honest About Your Struggles:

First, when it comes to discovering God’s will for your life you need to know that God invites you to come as you are.

If you want the Lord’s guidance you must first be open and honest about your struggles in life. .

There’s such a temptation for people to think that God won’t bless them or speak to them unless they’ve cleaned themselves up and made themselves worthy of receiving God’s grace. But it wouldn’t be grace if we deserved it.

Living a life of faithful obedience to God doesn’t keep you from having certain emotions or difficulties in life.

So the most important thing you can do if you want to discover the will of God is to be honest WITH God about your struggles.

Notice some of the things that David struggles with in this Psalm. (cf John Piper)

He struggles with Fear

First David is struggling with fear. He’s fearful for his physical safety. He’s in some kind of imminent danger.

Psalm 25:2 “2 My God, I trust in you. Do not let me be disgraced; do not let my enemies gloat over me.”

Psalm 25:19 “19 Consider my enemies; they are numerous, and they hate me violently.”

At this point and time in David’s life he’s surrounded with threats to his well being. Think of the anxiety that created in his heart.

And we know the same anxiety. Many of you are struggling with fear. Some of it has to do with your physical safety. Some of you are fearful of failure. Some of you are afraid of success. You’re anxious and afraid just like David is.

Guess what? Feeling afraid doesn’t cut you off from the presence and power of God. It doesn’t preclude you from receiving his wisdom. He still wants to give it. But you’ve got to come to him as you are.

He struggles with Loneliness

We also see David struggle with loneliness in this passage.

Psalm 25:16 “16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am alone and afflicted.”

It’s actually pretty common for people who are totally surrendered to God to feel lonely from time to time.

A life of obedience to God’s revealed will is the road less traveled in our culture. You might not have the company of all of your family and friends if you’re going to do what God clearly says do in his Word.

Paul spent his final days in a Roman prison, deserted by the people who supposedly loved/supported him.

He struggles with Guilt

David also struggles with guilt. We see this over and over again in the Psalm. It was maybe one of his biggest struggles.

Psalm 25:7 “7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my acts of rebellion; in keeping with your faithful love, remember me because of your goodness, Lord.”

Psalm 25:11 “11 Lord, for the sake of your name, forgive my iniquity, for it is immense.”

Much of David’s guilt seems to revolve around behaviors and decisions from his past (the sins of his youth…) He says they are “immense.”

As if it’s not bad enough to feel lonely and isolated - he was battling guilt and shame on top of all of that. A nagging sense of depression and unworthiness. Shame from the pit of hell.

He Struggles with Increasing Emotional Distress (Depression)

In Psalm 25:17 David literally says “The distresses of my heart increase; bring me out of my sufferings.”

So not only is he suffering physically… he’s suffering emotionally as well! Some people might call this “being in a funk...” In its extended form some would call this depression.

Just nothing right in the world even if everything is right in the world.

And yet, he comes to God as he is and we should do the same.

You’ll never receive guidance from God if you’re waiting until your all cleaned up or fixed up or “deserving” before you ask. Stop allowing your emotions or shame or sin keep you from drawing near to the Lord.

Just be honest with God about where you’re at and what you’re struggling with. Let us say with David Psalm 25:18 “18 Consider my affliction and trouble, and forgive all my sins.”

You’ll never discover the will of God if you allow your circumstances or weaknesses to prevent you from drawing near to his throne of grace.

Come as you are. Be honest about your struggles.

It’s actually counter-intuitive. If dependance is the goal (and it is) then weakness is the advantage!

Staff Retreat Exercise

One of the things we did as a staff was write down some of our sins and emotional struggles in ministry. It wasn’t a fun exercise - it required a great deal of vulnerability - but in order for us to have heard from God that introspection and confession was necessary.

Do you know what came up on our list? Some of the things we struggle with? Somebody said “if somebody saw the words we wrote down they’d think ‘wow I guess ANYBODY can become a pastor.” It’s true. We’re all human.

Number one on our list was fear. Doubt and uncertainty.

On and on we could go:

Fear/Doubt

Failure focus

Critical Spirit

Unforgiveness

Discouragement/Overthinking

Pride/Ego/Self-Righteousness

Distraction/Angst

Tiredness/Exhaustion

People Pleasing

Apathy/Indifference

Discontentment

Pray for God’s Help

Like David we wrote it down and we owned it. Listen to your heart and bring all of that - pretty stuff and ugly stuff - into the presence of God.

Then, having been honest with God about his struggles, David then cries out to God in prayer.

Psalm 25:2 “2 My God, I trust in you. Do not let me be disgraced; do not let my enemies gloat over me.”

Psalm 25:6 “6 Remember, Lord, your compassion and your faithful love, for they have existed from antiquity.”

Psalm 25:7 “7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my acts of rebellion; in keeping with your faithful love, remember me because of your goodness, Lord.”

Psalm 25:11 “11 Lord, for the sake of your name, forgive my iniquity, for it is immense.”

Psalm 25:16 -17 “16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am alone and afflicted. 17 The distresses of my heart increase; bring me out of my sufferings.”

Psalm 25:20 “20 Guard me and rescue me; do not let me be disgraced, for I take refuge in you.”

Soafter we’ve been open and honestabout our struggles, we should ASK God for help.

This may sound very basic but so many people fail to ask God for help. They worry worry worry but never take it to the Lord in prayer.

Oh what peace we often forfeit. Oh what needless pains we bear. All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

You’ll never get an answer to a question you never ask. You’ll never get understanding if you don’t request it. We do not have because we do not ask. God’s design for prayer has always been an invitation to receive from God what we otherwise would’ve never received.

How God Guides

Having looked at how David comes, let’s now examine how God guides. We see some important clues in this Psalm for how God goes about giving guidance to his people.

The first clue is the contrast in this Psalm between “God’s paths and our path… God’s ways and our way...”

In verses 4-5 we see David ask God to show him “His path...” The focus is on God’s general will for all people.

Psalm 25:4–5 (CSB)

4 Make your ways known to me, Lord;

teach me your paths.

5 Guide me in your truth and teach me,

for you are the God of my salvation;

I wait for you all day long.

But in verses 12 the tables are flipped. There, the focus is on the particular will of God for David individually...”

Psalm 25:12–13 (CSB)

12 Who is this person who fears the Lord?

He will show him the way he should choose.

13 He will live a good life,

and his descendants will inherit the land.

So what’s the relationship between knowing God’s general will for all peoples and knowing his particular will for your individual life? According to this Psalm, there’s a direct relationship between the two.

If you need God to shine his light on an area that’s dark or fuzzy in your life then you must be growing in and committed to walking in the light that he’s already given.

Our knowledge of God’s particular will flows from a deep understanding of God’s general will. The secret will of God is unlocked by familiarizing ourselves with his revealed will.

Sanctification Not Signs

Are there times when God might reveal his secret will in a dream or vision or something out of the ordinary? Sure. That happens every now and then.

But generally speaking, God answers our prayers for guidance more by transforming us into certain types of people than he does by giving a certain kind of message.

Knowing God’s will for your life is more about sanctification than it is some secret sign. The quest for Guidance has more to do with sanctification than it does seeking after a sign..

Instead of making us rely on a dream or a vision for every question of wisdom he transforms us into people who know how to bring the character and purpose of God to bear on even the most nuanced and complex discussions or decisions.

This is why Paul often prayed for believers in the church to grow in their spiritual wisdom and understanding. How? By teaching and admonishing one another in the Word of God.

When you know God’s Word and his revealed will inside and out then you’ll be able to bring his nature and purposes to bear on the complex questions of life.

Training The Senses

There’s a passage in the book of Hebrews that also speaks to this dynamic.

Hebrews 5:13–14 (CSB)

13 Now everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the message about righteousness, because he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature—for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.

That phrase “whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil...” is exactly what David is praying for in Psalm 25. It’s exactly what we’re talking about in discerning God’s will for you in the “unanswered questions” of life.

How are those faculties trained? How are the senses sharpened? By moving from milk to meat. By growing up in our knowledge of God and his word. By becoming mature in our thinking because we’ve familiarized ourselves with the God’s ways and God’s paths.

Illustration: learning a language. (unfamiliar … words are a blur. Even if you had a dictionary you would still never really get along like you need to. Familiar… you can distinguish between the nuances…)

Stop treating the Bible like a language dictionary and start learning the actual language of heaven by familiarizing yourself with Scripture.

Learning The Word

If you want to grow in this area and hear from God on this matters of personal guidance then let me encourage you to make two commitments for 2022: LEARN the Word of God and LIVE the Word of God.

When I say “LEARN” the Word of God I don’t just meant “read a devotional book every morning.” I mean put in some effort and really figure out what the Bible is all about. Learn the metanarrative. Learn the big story and the big picture and the main point of the Bible.

There are so many wonderful resources out there for this. But it’s going to take a big commitment. Treat it like training for a marathon or working out to lose a quick set of pounds. Get you a tool and commit to the process.

Engage in a 90 Day Bible reading plan so that you get the big picture. On Right Now Media there are series like “The Bible Project” that will give you a visual and helpful overview of each book and how they all tie together. There are great podcasts or apps that make this easier. Learn the Word. (TPP)

One of the best prayers you can pray if you want to know God’s will for your life in 2022 is “show me your ways… teach me your paths...” Pray that God would give you a hunger for and familiarity with the Word so that your knowledge of God’s revealed will empowers you to gain clarity around his secret will.

Living The Word

But it’s not enough to just “learn” about God’s general will as revealed in Scripture. You’ve got to also put into practice the Word of God that you know. You’ve got to live it.

God’s commitment to show you his secret will is determined by and large by your willingness to put into practice what he’s already revealed.

Again, it’s not so much about a secret sign or message. It’s about becoming a certain kind of person. It’s about holiness.

When I say “live the word” I don’t want to suggest that you can somehow perfectly obey everything that God says to do in the Scripture. You can’t. But that’s not really the point of this Psalm.

The point David is making is that he desperately wants to know the ways of God and character of God so that he can live his life in light of those truths. That’s what it means to “live the word.”

Learning the Word is having your mind filled with truth about who God is, what He has done and his ways in the World. Living the Word is orienting your actions, attitudes and big life decisions around those realities.

Fearing God

Psalm 25:14 ties it all together under the heading of Fearing God.

Psalm 25:14 (CSB)

14 The secret counsel of the Lord

is for those who fear him,

and he reveals his covenant to them.

What does it mean to fear the Lord? Well it doesn’t mean sinless obedience. It just means humble surrender. It means a recognition that his way is right and his purposes good.

We know “fearing God” can’t mean sinlessness because David has already confessed many sins in this Psalm. This should be a comfort to some of us.

There are many people who think because they committed a grievous sin in their past or a terrible mistake in prior years that God can no longer bring about his best for their life.

I’ll always be destined to be alone...

I’ll never have a good marriage again (divorce)

I married the wrong person… God can never bless me because...

That’s just not true. David says of his sin that it is IMMENSE and yet because of who the Lord, he even shows SINNERS the way.

Psalm 25:8 (CSB)

8 The Lord is good and upright;

therefore he shows sinners the way.

Sinlessness is not a precondition for understanding God’s will for your life. However, certain other things are. Namely, humility, repentance and faith.

How To Receive It

Which leads us to our last point. To receive God’s guidance you must come to him as you are… you must understand his guidance comes by making you into a particular kind of person instead of giving you a particular kind of sign.

Finally, you can receive his guidance on those secondary questions through repentance, humility and covenant-keeping faith.

Psalm 25:9 (CSB)

9 He leads the humble in what is right

and teaches them his way.

It is the person who admits his sinfulness and feels his helplessness that receives the good grace of God’s guidance. The gift of God’s guidance is only received by the HUMBLE.

Repentance and humility are foundational prerequisites to receiving God’s guidance for a new year. But those things must also be accompanied by faith.

David follows this idea of humble repentance with the idea of “covenant keeping...” Psalm 25:10

Psalm 25:10 (CSB)

10 All the Lord’s ways show faithful love and truth

to those who keep his covenant and decrees.

Humility, repentance, and covenant keeping faith- it’s all descriptive of a heart that trusts and obeys the Lord. Not sinless perfection but a humble joyful obedience because the Lord’s steadfast love, mercy and grace.

God’s guidance is given to the man or the woman who realizes they were far worse off than they could’ve ever imagined but in Christ they are far more loved than they could’ve ever dared hope.

It really is as simple as repentance and faith. Trust and obey for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus than to trust and obey.

That means admitting your sin and weakness and acknowledging your only hope is the Lord’s commitment to his own name. That’s what it means to fear the Lord.

Psalm 25:11–12 (CSB)

11 Lord, for the sake of your name,

forgive my iniquity, for it is immense.

12 Who is this person who fears the Lord?

He will show him the way he should choose.

Do you see it? The simultaneous humility and repentance over sin accompanied by a confident faith that God will show him the way he should choose? That’s how you receive God’s guidance in your life.

So we cry out for guidance in humble faith and great fear of the Lord knowing that those are the people who will ultimately hear the voice of God and be shown the way they should choose.

CONCLUSION

So come to God as you are. Be diligent to familiarize yourself with God’s revealed will so you can gain understanding of his secret will. Finally, through repentance and faith be confident that God’s secret counsel will be made known you at just the right time and in just the right way.

Psalm 25:14 (CSB)

14 The secret counsel of the Lord

is for those who fear him,

and he reveals his covenant to them.

I’ve always been a little bit suspect of the people who say “God told me this… God told me that...” Because sometimes the things God tells certain people plainly contradict his revealed Word.

So the order is important.

First - to know God’s secret counsel you must first know very well his revealed counsel. Your feelings don’t trump God’s Word.

Secondly - your feelings don’t trump the call of obedience. It’s going to be difficult to hear God’s voice on what you don’t know when you refuse to obey his voice on what you DO KNOW.

But, if your mind is saturated by God’s Word and your heart is surrendered to God’s will, and your soul obedient to his voice THEN and only then will you also get the added pleasure of knowing his secret counsel.

The secret counsel of the Lord is for those who fear him.

Do you fear the Lord? Has he made his covenant known to you?