Steps to Divine Direction!
By John David Hicks
“Commit your way to the Lord; trust also in Him, and He will do it” (Psalm 37:5 nasb).
Here is the KEY to God’s direction and solving life’s problems. Three simple steps of faith guide you to the answer.
The first is to commit your way to the Lord. Commit is a decisive act on your part. You acknowledge the Lord by taking your hands off the answer and commit everything to the Lord. The Lord isn’t just interested in solving your life issues, but in conforming you into the likeness of his Son (Rom. 8:29). Therefore, your life circumstances are about training you to become Christ-like. The Holy Spirit is teaching you every day how to trust the Lord; He is your place of security. When your heart is set on who God is for you, then your commitment will move you forward. When you deposit some money in the bank and get a receipt, you know you’ve deposited it. You can count on it. That’s commitment.
Second, trust also in the Lord. This is a continuing attitude, not a single act of commitment. Trust is a constant, and you practice it all the time. Your faith just goes on trusting. Faith is not always logical, but your trust is in His unchanging nature. Thus, you are trusting and believing in something that you can’t see, yet seeing it as a reality heading your way. For He is true to His word, faithful and loving to you. Trust is born out of your relationship with the Lord. You know that you made a deposit in the bank. So, you don’t have to worry about it. The bank knows it’s there and knows what to do with your money—trust the bank. But in your case, you are not trusting in a bank, you are trusting the Lord. He will take care of you. As you are open to the Lord, divine direction will come. Your hope in the Lord makes it easier to face your circumstances with faith, because trust is naturally operating in your life.
After you take the first two steps, then then the third step is the Lord’s: He said He would will do it. He will make your “Divine Direction” happen. This confidence comes from the knowledge that, you didn’t choose the Lord. It was He who chose you. He appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using Jesus’ name (John 15:16). The Lord is the object of your confidence, not circumstances. As you give thanks to the Lord for who He is this makes Him your focus. This produces faith in you that the Lord will do what He wants to do. Whatever circumstances you have in mind, whatever requirement your need asks for, whatever anxious problem, whatever troubled decision, you have committed it to the Lord – that’s your part. Your attitude of faith is that you know that you can trust the Lord. Your conviction and peace is the assurance that the Lord will do it. He’s your Lord. You can count on His love and care. As you trusted the bank with your money, you can trust the Lord with your life and its problems. Your part is to take it to Him by faith by committing your way to the Lord. Continue trusting in Him, and know that He will do it.