I was watching an insurance commercial on television the other day. In it, the company attempted to explain how they could help me plan out my financial future. I watched as people on the screen followed green arrows that seemed to illuminate on the ground directing them along the path they were expected to take to achieve their financial goals. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if following our spiritual path was that easy? Wouldn’t it be great if God were to put little green arrows in our path to tell us exactly what we should do and which way we should go in life? Then we would know exactly what he wanted for us and we would be sure that we were on the path he’d chosen for us. This may sound like a fantasy, but in actuality, the Bible teaches us that God does direct us in the way we should go. Isaiah reveals these words from God explaining this truth to the Israelites, and I believe that it is just as true for us today. It says in Isaiah, chapter 48, verse 17:
“This is what the Lord says - your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: ‘I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.’”
God doesn’t expect us to figure life out on our own. He guides and directs us through the Holy Spirit living inside of every believer, the Holy Bible, and divine intervention. Have you ever felt the Holy Spirit “speaking” to you? He may have placed a clear prompting in your heart, urging you to do something, say something, or to go in a certain direction with your life. Have you ever experienced God speaking to you through the Bible? Verses you may have read time and time again may have a fresh new meaning when applied to a situation you happen to be going through at that very moment. Through his word, God may be telling you how he wants you to respond. He may be teaching you what is best for you. And have you ever had someone say something to you at just the right time, almost as if God sent them to speak to you? Or has God “spoken” to you through an external method to communicate, like a television show you’re watching or a book you’re reading? Isaiah reminds us that God does, in fact, teach us what is best for us and he directs us in the way we should go. The question is, are you listening? Are you obeying? I hope the answer to those two questions is, “yes”.
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Isaiah reminds us that our Lord, our Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel teaches us what is best for us and directs us in the way we should go. At the time this verse was written, God used prophets to speak his words to his people. They were sent as vessels to relay God’s directives. Today, we have the Holy Spirit, we have the complete Bible, and God can also use almost anyone or anything to divinely relay his desires and directives. Our job is to walk closely with him so that we can discern when he is communicating with us. When that happens, it might even seem as if God is illuminating bright green arrows that only you can see, directing you in the way he wants you to go.