Guidance

When I am out in my car, I have a sat-nav (GPS) system to guide me to my planned destination.  (I also have a wife-nav - often more dependable!).   Life, however, does not come with a sat-nav, and knowing which direction to take can be one of the most difficult, and one of the most frustrating, decisions that one has to make on a daily basis.

As a disciple of Jesus, I am particularly concerned that I know God's will for my life.  I have often said that what I would really like is a postcard, delivered every morning.  It would be postmarked "Heaven"; signed "G,O,D,", and have a list of bullet points outlining Father God's will for me for that particular day.  Sadly, that is not the way in which He works.  Guidance comes - but I must be willing to look for it, and able to recognise it when it does!

The long gap in posts has been because my wife and I have been house-hunting - in France.  Although we are normally based in the static caravan that we have in the Gironde area, we are looking for a house in the Dordogne - as close to Bergerac as we can manage.  To facilitate our search - and the countless viewings that were being arranged, we spent a lot of our time stopping with friends who live much closer to Bergerac and, of course, it would have been rude of me to spend too much time in the evenings, ignoring the chat, and concentrating on my computer!

We still haven't found the 'right' house, at the 'right' price, in the 'right' area.  We are convinced that the Lord has a specific property for us - but He hasn't revealed it to us, yet!   We believe that our more permanent move to France is in His will - there have been many confirmations of that, even at times when we were beginning to question it - but to be what we believe He wants us to be, we really do need that house!

So what do we do?  Well, we pray about the situation.  We keep looking at potential houses.  We discuss the various possibilities - with each other, and with trusted friends.   We continue to trust our loving heavenly Father that He will lead us to the right place, at the right time.  On a very practical note, I monitor (usually on a daily basis, ex Sunday) the Pound Sterling to Euro currency exchange rate.  At the moment it is favourable - and it may be that the Lord is simply holding us back until it reaches a level that will allow us to purchase the house of His choosing.

I wonder if you, too, find guidance to be difficult; if you wonder about the decisions that you make; if you long for something clearer, day by day?   I wish that I had a simple solution!   I don't.  All that I can recommend is what my wife and I are seeking to do.  It's called trust, or faith.  However, it is not the faith that is of greatest importance - it is the Object of that faith.  Put your own trust in Him.  Be assured that He does have a perfect plan and purpose for your life.  Then, while doing all that is necessary from your own perspective (like us looking at all of these houses!), leave the final solution to Him.

When I was a young student at the Bible Training Institute in Glasgow, so many years ago now, I learned my first Greek language phrase.  It was the motto of the College: "Pistos 'o Theos" - which means "God is faithful".  I proved that, on innumerable occasions.  I am still proving it today.  I commend my faithful God to you - and you to my faithful God!