GOD’S GUIDANCE

A Bible Study
(All quotations are from the New International Version)

1. Christians are guided by God

“By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way
and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or
night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in
front of the people.” (Exodus 13:21-22)

“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green
pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths
of righteousness for his name's sake. “ (Psalm 23:1-3)

2. God guides Christians all the time

“For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.” (Psalm
48:14)

“Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your
counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. “ (Psalm 73:23-24)

“If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If
I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your
hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. “ (Psalm 139:8-10)

“The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and
will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose
waters never fail. “ (Isaiah 58:11)

3. As we walk with God in faith, with the right attitude of submission, God promises
to guide us

“We live by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)

“The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father's
household and go to the land I will show you’.” (Genesis 12:1)

“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To
act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. “ (Micah 6:8)

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living
sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not
conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of
your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good,
pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2)
 “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the
knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2
Corinthians 10:5)

“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without
finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not
doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”
(James 1:5-6)

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all
your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

4. God is guiding us even when we are not aware of it

“In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

“The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he
pleases.” (Proverbs 21:1)

5. Christians are guided by the Holy Spirit

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the
desert.” (Luke 4:1)

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not
speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to
come.” (John 16:13)

“So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in
charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to
Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book
of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it." (Acts
8:27-29)

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25) [or “be
guided by the Spirit”]

6. Christians are guided by God’s Word

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. “ (Psalm 119:105)

“Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. Give me
understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart. Direct me in the
path of your commands, for there I find delight. Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life
according to your word.” (Psalm 119:33-37)

“Jesus answered, ‘It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word
that comes from the mouth of God’.” (Matthew 4:4)
 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and
training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for
every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

7. No guidance is from God that is opposed by God’s Word

“I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob. I will put my
trust in him. Here am I, and the children the LORD has given me. We are signs and
symbols in Israel from the LORD Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion. When men tell
you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people
inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to
the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.”
(Isaiah 8:17-20)

“This is what each of you keeps on saying to his friend or relative: ‘What is the LORD's
answer?’ or ‘What has the LORD spoken?’ But you must not mention 'the oracle of the
LORD' again, because every man's own word becomes his oracle and so you distort the
words of the living God, the LORD Almighty, our God.” (Jeremiah 23:35-36)

“He replied, ‘Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:
‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship
me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’ You have let go of the
commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.’ And he said to them:
‘You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your
own traditions!’” (Mark 7:6-9)

8. God can guide us by communicating to us as we pray

“Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach
me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” (Psalm 25:4-5)

“Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress
to save me. Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and
guide me. “ (Psalm 31:2-3)

9. God can guide us by our hearts (our emotions)

“I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me… You
have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with
eternal pleasures at your right hand. “ (Psalm 16:7, 11)

“Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, ‘I'll work for you seven years in return for your
younger daughter Rachel.’…So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they
seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.” (Genesis 29:18, 20)

10. God can guide us by our minds (our thoughts)

“My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your
ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as
for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the
 knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge
and understanding.” (Proverbs 2:1-6)

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and
watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.” (Psalm 32:8-9)

“Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways’.” (Haggai
1:5)

11. God can guide us through other people

“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” (Proverbs 15:22)

“Make plans by seeking advice; if you wage war, obtain guidance.” (Proverbs 20:18)

“For waging war you need guidance, and for victory many advisers.” (Proverbs 24:6)

“Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one's friend
springs from his earnest counsel.” (Proverbs 27:9)

“Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the
towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing’.” (Acts
15:36)

12. God can guide us by events and circumstances

“His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. "We are your slaves,"
they said. But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You
intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being
done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:18-20)

“But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa,
where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and
sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD. Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea,
and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up…” (Jonah 1:3-4)

13. God can guide us by visions, dreams, impressions, intuition

“After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid, Abram. I
am your shield, your very great reward.’” (Genesis 15:1)

“And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will
prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.” (Joel 2:28)

“But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and
said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because
what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:20)

“During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him,
‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at
once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to
them. “ (Acts 16:9-10).