How God Guides –Part 4 April 16, 2012
“But,” complained an earnest reader, “are you sure Goddoesn’t speak His will to people directly? That sure doesn’t feel verypersonal.” To which I answer: yes, I’m sure. The Bible does not teach that Godwill guide us to the “right” decision using felt impressions or randomcircumstances. He guides through His word.
As for the concern about a felt sense of personalcloseness, let’s think about that one a bit. Is it necessarily true that, inorder for God’s guidance to be truly personal, it must be specific and directfor each decision in our lives? Not really.
Think about the development of God’s relationship withHis people from the Old to the New Testaments. God’s direction in the OT wasextremely specific. He told the Israelites exactly what to eat, what theirclothes could be made of, how high their interest rates on loans could be, etc.On the other hand, God’s direction in the NT is much broader and more general.We are told to give cheerfully and sacrificially, but the exact amount we giveis up to us. We are told to gather for worship regularly, but how often andwhen we gather is not specified. We are free and responsible to choose what toeat, what to wear, where to live, what church to attend, etc.
Furthermore, in the OT, God led His people with visibleor audible signs: the pillar of fire, casting lots, etc. In the NT, however, weare not provided a pillar of fire as assurance of God’s presence, nor do wecast lots for our decisions. We rely on principles and promises in God’s Wordfor both.
In both of these ways, we might say the OT believershad it “better” than we do. God’s guidance was specific and direct. But whowould say that OT saints had a more personal relationship with God?
Actually, this change from how God led them to how Heleads us is perfectly consistent with how parents treat their children as theygrow up. Immature children need specific, concrete, direct guidelines. But themore children mature and approach adulthood, the less they require that kind ofdetailed parental supervision. At the same time though, their relationship withtheir parents becomes closer and more personal. God guided the OT believers asimmature children, but He relates to us on a more personal, adult level.