A successful life follows God’s paths

Life is a series of choices. Success is basically a matter of making wise decisions. If you make dumb decisions you will fail in life. We make our decisions and then our decisions make us. Every decision has a consequence.

The Psalmist says, “He guides me in the paths of righteousness ...” (Psalm 23:2). The Good Shepherd leads, guides, directs and keeps us on track if we will allow him. Doing God’s will brings peace within. God wants us to know his will more than we want to know it.

So how do we know God’s will? How do I let God guide me in the right path?

The Bible says you do four things. First, you need to admit that you need a guide. Because of poor vision, sheep need a shepherd to guide them. Instead of saying someone is “as blind as a bat,” you could say, “He is as blind as a sheep.” We don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow, much less next year.  We need to depend on God for guidance.

The second way to find God’s will is to ask in faith for directions. Jesus said, “Ask and it shall be given ....” (Matthew 7:7). God wants you to learn to ask.

To find God’s will there is a third thing we need to do, and that is to listen for God’s response. Of all the creatures God created and put on this earth, only human beings have the ability to tune in to God and hear what he says. How does God speak? There are many ways ... the Bible, teachers, impressions, circumstances, pain.  The primary way God speaks is through the Bible. Directions you need for life is already there.

The fourth thing we need to do in knowing God’s will is to trust him when we don’t understand. Years after it happened, the children of Israel looked back on the crossing of the Red Sea and said, “Your road led by a pathway through the sea ... a pathway no one knew was there” (Psalm 77:19). Some of you may be facing some dead ends right now. God sees a path that you don’t even know about. If you keep moving on in faith, trust God even when you don’t see a way, He can make a way. Keep on walking on the path God has put you on, it will become clearer and clearer and more understandable the longer you go. One day you will stand in the full light of eternity and see why God chose that path for you.