God Is Your Guide

God wants His best for us. Is that something you believe?

I know many people who can’t seem to wrap their minds around this. They may read all the scriptural truth about how God feels about them but then get caught in a cycle of guilt and shame over their sins and shortcomings.

People often zone in on the 10 commandments and other rules revealed in scripture. As they consider these rules they may feel a variety of emotions from frustration to failure, or even fear. Scripture makes us all very aware of God’s demand for righteousness and as a result, some people may feel like they are too far gone to be welcomed by the Lord.

Other people simply don’t want to submit their lives to a God who has a series of rules and expectations. To some, following biblical teaching feels like a boring and restrictive pursuit.

There is a different way of looking at God’s demand for righteousness and the rules that He has put in place for His people. Instead of seeing it as a list of dos and don’ts consider it guidance on how to achieve God’s best for us. Recognize that out of His abundant love, God has chosen to love and guide us through life.

God Graciously Guides

The Lord makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in him;
though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord upholds him with his hand
(Psalm 37:23-24).

In His graciousness, God gave us His Holy Word so that we could navigate the broken reality of humanity in a way that honors His will for us. God’s rules are given to help us pursue His best for us as He defines what righteousness looks like. So many people miss this beautiful reality.

You can find this guidance within the pages of scripture — from the Old Testament to the New Testament. These rules were established so that God’s people would know how to live in a way that aligns with God’s will.

God promises to make our steps “firm” as we delight in Him. I love that word choice! I think of firm steps as sure, confident, and effective. I want my journey to be one full of firm steps! And what about you? What kind of steps are you seeking these days?

Outside of God’s design for humanity and without following His ways, we are welcoming the painful implications of sin. In this way, it is very much about His rules. But not so fast, there is more to the story. Not only is God our guide, He is full of mercy.

Come As You Are

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24).

We should all breathe a sigh of relief as we read Romans 3:23-24! How comforting that scripture tells us we can’t earn our way to righteousness and redemption on our own power. The solution was freely and directly given to us by God when He sent us Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the ultimate demonstration of how God is our guide. When there was no path forward for humanity, He made one. Even at the cost of sacrificing His only son on our behalf (John 3:16).

Don’t let your fear of the rules — or breaking the rules — keep you from coming before God and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior. It is out of God’s mercy that we were given a way to be made righteous.

Let God Guide You

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Once you have salvation you can trust that God will continue His great work in you, refining you and helping you align more and more with His teachings. As you grow in your faith, your “rule following” — or ability to live consistent with His will — will also grow.

Submitting your life to Him also means spending time reading from scripture directly, so you can familiarize yourself with His ways, teachings, and guidance. Don’t rely solely on others to provide you with information about scripture and the Lord’s teachings because He makes it directly available to you!

Each and every day of your life God will guide you forward, seeking to refine you to be more and more like Jesus. As Paul declared in Philippians 1:6, “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.”

Confidently trust God will continue guiding you, making your path straight and steps firm — God is your guide.