Talk to some believers and you get the distinct impression that they have a running dialogue with the Lord and that everything they do is the result of a "word" from Him. Now, I am not for one moment saying that there is not the possibility that the Lord, by giving us a "word," sometimes guides His people that way.

Truth be known however, there is a lot of life that happens in between those times of obvious supernatural guidance. This morning, I want us to look at the whole topic of Divine Guidance. How do we know that we are doing what the Lord wants? How do we know that we are where we should be? How should we approach major decisions, like job changes, engagements, break-ups, or purchasing a home?

Let me say from the start that from the Lord’s side of things, His will is crystal clear. I also have to say that our ability to hear and understand is not always so clear. Have you ever thought you "heard from God" only to find out later that it wasn’t His voice you heard? Have you noticed that the voice you sometimes ascribe to the Lord sounds an awful lot like your parents’ voices?

The first thing we need to do, then, is to be humble enough to admit that our ability to hear Him is less than perfect and that it is possible to make a mistake. You’d be surprised if I told you how many people I have met over the years who contend that they have never missed God’s will. Ironically it is the folks who depend on these proud people who "pick up the check" for the sometimes foolish actions of these infallible saints.

There are others who say, in essence, "I will just press ahead and do what seems best to me at the time." This irresponsible stance leads to situations like this: "I didn’t hear from the Lord and, after all, I really liked the car." Or how about the person who says, "He was so nice, he was so attentive when we were dating . . .."

There is a promise Jesus made to His disciples before He went to the Cross. He said he would send the Teacher (the Holy Spirit) who would guide us into the truth. In days like these, we need more than ever to know how to seek God’s will, how to accept God’s will and how to accomplish God’s will. If you will apply yourself to learn, and if I will be diligent to teach His Word accurately, we will be in a good place: in His will.