In this practical message, Dr. Stanley explains that we, too, should be following God as our guide every day. We don’t have a pillar of cloud for a signpost, but as believers, we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us. He’s our leader, and He’s committed to showing us the correct path in every circumstance. Find out what you can do to gain discernment, recognize His voice, and follow Him in holiness through every challenge and uncertainty.

who or what is yawning your life think

for just a moment

when you think about a given day in your

life who’s really guiding your thinking

your attitude your wishes your desires

how you operate how you work whatever it

might be are you guided by someone by

some philosophy or attitude that you

have in life or are you guided by your

feelings and your emotions some people

live by their feelings their emotions up

today and down tomorrow in and out and

so they have no real stability in life

because they’re living by feelings and

God does not intend for us to live about

feelings he intends for us to live by a

relationship that we have with him who

gives us stability and strength and

clarity and guidance in every area of

our life well we’ve been in the book of

Exodus and the Hebrew children are out

of Egyptian bondage and they’re on their

way across the desert and to the

promised land

it should take him a few weeks but it

took him 40 years because of their

unbelief if they had obeyed God then

exactly what he had said they didn’t

reach the promised land a whole lot

easier and a whole lot earlier but like

many of the people they took the rise of

God start thinking about something else

looked at where they were going and who

was there and so their fear overtook

them and they as you and I would say

back slid and missed it and spent 40

years wandering around in the wilderness

dying off when they could have been

living in the Promised Land so I want to

talk about this whole issue of being

counted by God if you name the name of

Jesus as your Savior you should be

guided by the Word of God and when I

think about that I think about the fact

that God has given us a compass really

that compass is really the Holy Spirit

who lives

inside of us they give us guidance and

direction every day of their life so I

want to thank for just a moment about

the fact that these Hebrews were walking

and living in strange country now

they’re out of captivity and they have

the scripture says a cloud by day and a

fire by night and more than likely if

you’ll think about it that cloud by day

also kept a little bit of the Sun off of

them but it also acted like a compass as

a guide they also had far in the evening

which probably kept them a little warm

from a desert breeze and so God is

leading them at an Egyptian bondage and

he’s leading him to a whole different

perspective if they will follow him they

will be in Canaan shortly the place that

God has preserved for them and yet

that’s not what happens and so what I

want us to think about for just a moment

is this whole idea of who guides us we

have this as our guide so we don’t have

to wonder about how God thinks about

certain things and how he feels about

certain things we have the Word of God

to give us guidance and direction and we

thank God for that

so the issue is this when I think about

what they had a pillar of cloud and fire

to guide them keep them warm keep them

cool lead them to the promised land what

do we have and that’s this book there’s

not any direction of your life that’s

not covered here whatever you’re looking

for whatever you’re seeking whatever

guidance you desire in life you open the

Word of God and He will give you that

living in this world reading the Bible

every now and then is not sufficient we

live in a wicked violent world it’s very

evident from what we see happening and

we live in a world that is against God

against the Lord Jesus Christ and

opposed to so many things that you’re

not believe so we have to decide am I

going to live

my emotions am I gonna live by what

other people do it or am I going to live

by the one thing that I know will get

absolutely give me clear true true true

guidance every single day of my life

that’s the Word of God so I want us to

think about that and when I think about

what God says number one meditating upon

the word of God now those Hebrews didn’t

have this we have something they didn’t

have and if you will look at the 119

song for a moment and I want you to

notice a verse here and the scripture

says in this 119 song and verse 105 your

word is a lamp to my feet and the light

to my path now look at that do you

believe that the Word of God is a lamp

to your feet which means he will always

show you the right path to take and the

light to my path that is what the cloud

and the fire were to Israel in those

days of desert times the Word of God is

to us what is it a light to my path and

a lamp to my feet that is if you want to

go and you want to be in the right place

the right time you getting the Word of

God you say well the Word of God doesn’t

know anything about me

listen to God who penned these words

knows exactly where you are what you are

facing in life and then listen there is

a passage of scripture here somewhere

in this book that applies to who you are

where you are today no matter who you

are and it is an adequate word to give

you guidance and direction the problem

is not that we don’t have direction the

problem is we’ve closed the book and if

the nation of Israel had said forget the

cloud and forget the fire let’s just go

where we want to go that’s exactly the

way people living and many people only

open the Word of God when they’re in

trouble a lamp to my feet a light to

your path listen you and I should always

be walking

in the path of righteousness and what’s

good we have we know which way to walk

and God has told us that secondly we

need to be sensitive to the leadership

of the Holy Spirit and one of the things

that Jesus made very very clear to his

apostles he said I’m not going to leave

you alone he says I will come to you and

he was speaking of of the Holy Spirit

and and the Scriptures he makes it very

very clear the sixteenth chapter and in

this 13th verse he says but when he the

spirit of truth comes and all of us have

the Holy Spirit living within us he will

guide you listen to this he will guide

you into all the truth so the if you own

a copy of the Word of God you don’t have

an excuse for not being able to discern

what is right what is wrong what is true

and what is untrue what’s good what’s

evil we live in a world with all kind of

philosophies and telling us that well

you know Jesus that’s the ancient times

no jesus is alive living within us today

and he says when he the spirit of truth

comes he will guide you into all the

truth for he will not speak on his own

initiative but whatever he hears he will

speak and he will dispose it to you that

is what’s to come that is watch think

about this when you wake up every

morning as a follower of Jesus you have

a body within you living within you in

all of his eternal power and be the very

person of the Holy Spirit they give you

guidance direction strength energy

discernment and all the rest all day

long we have everything we need to live

a godly life and so when somebody says

well I got saved way back yonder and

some way I just felt like God left me no

he didn’t leave you and you may be

sitting here today and you’re just

absolutely a backslidden Christian

you’re living in sin disobedient to God

looking back and thinking about what

your mother taught you years ago it’s

brought back to you some things that you

learned

right after you got saved and when you

were surrendered to Jesus and you look

back and you ask yourself this question

how did I get where I am I’ll tell you

I’ll you got where you are because you

closed this book you stopped listening

to the Holy Spirit who’s living within

you you decide to make some choices

apart from God now you’re in a mess you

cannot blame it on your parents on your

children who you work for your friends

or whatever it might be God gave us the

book is a guidebook think about this

every one of us is responsible to

Almighty God to be good stewards of the

knowledge and the experience that the

Word of God tells us about about every

single circumstance of our life we’re to

be we’re to be guided by the spirit then

one of the things we have to wait for if

we’re gonna follow the Lord is to wait

for his timing and one of my favorite

verses is as they’re 64 and when I think

about this verse and how many times I’ve

read it and have said yes Lord please

give me wisdom enough to do exactly what

it says and so here’s what it says in

the 64th chapter listen this for from

days of all they have not heard of or

seen by ear though has the eyes seen a

god besides you alike you listen a God

who acts in behalf of the one who waits

for him so ask yourself the question

when you don’t say when you get up and

wanna use your gonna start the day off

with prayer you get up and you get on

your knees or you read the scripture and

then you just take off what does the

Bible say about waiting upon God if

you’ve got to read the Word of God

listen carefully let’s just say you’re

gonna read the 23rd psalm which you are

to know by heart you know what makes the

scripture stick in your life what makes

it register in your mind in your brain

what causes you to be able to remember

it is when you read it you think about

it you forget everything else for the

moment and

ask yourself this question and you talk

to God about it lord help me to remember

what you’re saying don’t let me forget

this simple verse you act in behalf of

those who wait upon you how much time do

we spend waiting upon I wish there well

I’ll read my scripture this morning I

had to hurry elf think about this every

single day of your life in my life is

totally uncertain and what’s happening

about us is very evident of that we need

to begin every day in the word even if

it’s one verse or a whole chapter or

whatever it might be remembering that

the Spirit of God who lives within us

takes that word drives it to our mind to

our heart to our spirit and does what

intends to use it to gather us

throughout the day God has given you the

most treasured thing you own you can

stack up all of your stocks and bonds

and money over here and cars and houses

and farms and whatever it might be over

here none of that or all of it together

can equal this because none of that can

get you to heaven only the Word of God

can get you in heaven

and all the Word of God Gutzon gave you

clear instruction for your life so

likewise if I’m following him I’m gonna

be able to walk sometimes where it’s not

clear I want you to turn to one of my

favorite passages proverbs 3 speaking of

guidance and direction verse 5 trust in

the Lord with all of your heart do not

lean on your own understanding in all

your ways not some of them acknowledge

him look to him listen to him wait for

him and he will make your paths straight

instead of crooked listen to this do not

be wise in your own eyes fear the Lord

and turn away from evil and he says

here’s what you can expect

it’ll be healing to your body and

refreshment to your bones

where are they well what what can

promise you that when you read this

passage of Scripture daily I’ll quote it

to yourself and you’ll find yourself

quoting it to yourself often what

happens something turns on inside of you

and you know what that is that is your

awareness of the Spirit of the Living

God who will guide you enable you

empower you give you understanding how

to face every circumstance of life today

listen God has given us this because he

knows we can’t live a successful life

from his perspective or even from our

own unless we’re doing what we have they

had their eyes on the cloud by day in

the fire by night to be sure they walked

in the right direction we have the Word

of God to do what to give us clarity

understanding and insight so we can walk

in a holy way every day of her life the

Word of God we are talking about being

guided by it here in some verses that I

just want you to remember so I want you

to turn to Joshua for example and let’s

let’s look at the first chapter Joshua

another one of my favorite passages

because I had to turn to this many times

I remember when I preached my first

sermon I can still you see my mom she

called me she came into my bedroom and

she says I want you to read this before

you preach it your first sermon tonight

because she knew I was so bit frightened

but here’s what my mother gave me she

says I want you to read this verse have

I not commanded you to be strong and

courageous do not tremble or be dismayed

for the Lord your God is with you

wherever you go

watch this carefully if you walk in the

Spirit of God

you’ll have to be strong and courageous

because God is going to tell you don’t

go here and you have to decide whether

you’re strong enough to be obedient to

God are you

that pressure from somebody else or

whatever be strong and courageous

they’re not neither be there that’s made

but the Lord your God’s with you how

blessed we are to have the Word of God

in its L light and our fire and our

direction and our help

and our hope and our strength in our

energy and there’s something about

reading the Word of God that does

energize us because what happens is this

we are reminded of the presence of the

Holy Spirit within us we’re reminded

he’s the one who empowers us strengthens

us guides us helps us keeps us protects

us we’re reminds of we have within us

the Living God in the person of the Holy

Spirit we should be able to start every

day with confidence and boldness and

assurance and when you look around to

see what’s happening not a single person

knows from the veil being able to get

home tonight or not we live by faith we

live by hope and many people live by a

faith that they don’t even realize what

that tastes all about the truth is that

those of us who have a copy of the Word

of God and live by the Word of God know

the source of our hope and about

strength and we know the source of our

protection and our watch care you and I

have the written living perfect Word of

God to give us direction about every

single solitary aspect of our life with

no exception you can’t think of anything

the Word of God doesn’t have an answer

for then some people say well I’ve asked

God about some things he didn’t answer

well you probably weren’t listening very

carefully or probably you didn’t like

his answer but everywhere in the Word of

God he’s got a word for us so I think

about are we going to find ourselves

facing conflict and so someone says well

you don’t know where I work and I go to

work every single day and I go to work

in the situation that’s not very helpful

not very care

and so I want to give you this passage

of Scripture in Acts chapter five and

verse 29 listen to what he says Peter

and the Apostles answered to those who

are persecuting them we must obey God

rather than men the god of Our Fathers

raised up Jesus whom you have put to

death by hanging him on a cross he is

the one whom God exalted to his right

hand as a prince and a saviour to grant

repentance to Israel and forgiveness of

sins we are witnesses of these things

and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has

given to those of us who obey Him listen

you have the treasure of God deposited

in your life to do what forgotten some

direction think about this would God ask

you to do something he wouldn’t help you

do no but if you don’t know about the

Holy Spirit you would end up doing it in

your own strength and energy and this is

why often times people thirst they say

well I’ve tried to live a Christian life

but some I’m not doing too well

the Spirit of God who in dwells one of

us is the Spirit of God who and dwells

every single one of us and he has

equipped us and enabled us to face

difficult and hardship and opposition so

if I should ask you this morning how

many of you have been through a tough

time in your life and the only thing you

had was God was he there all of you

raise your hand if you know that he’s

been there you know that they’ve been

times when all you had was God the

bottom dropped out the sides fell off

the top disappeared and there you are

helpless and hopeless and the only thing

you had is Almighty God and the Spirit

of God the spirit God came to live in

our life to do it to give us assurance

so that we don’t have to worry about

today we just live in his presence

knowing that he’s within

he is our God and our guard and a helper

how strength and everything we need so

we can live happily we can live with a

discerning spirit to know some things

that are not wise for us to do and if

for example they’ve God let’s say you

headed into some store or something or

whatever it might be and you had a head

reservation in your spirit don’t do that

and you said well why not let me just

say this city when the Spirit of God

tells you something do exactly what he

says he said if he tells you if he tells

you don’t do that don’t argue with him

and ask him to tell you why he is under

no obligation to answer your why his

obligation is to give you direction the

guidance and protection if I disobey him

I suffer the consequence God speaks to

all of his children once you trusted him

as your personal savings and spirit came

into your life to do what they give you

direction and all these other things he

had talked about many of God’s people

are living oblivious to the very

presence of holy God who lives within

them and so they wonder why they get in

trouble do things they should do go

where they shouldn’t go see you name it

it’s not because God doesn’t care it’s

not because God’s not speaking it’s

because we’re not listening listen

carefully it’s dangerous absolutely

dangerous in this day and time to live

close to God we’d all need him and he’s

just that clear that you may be sitting

hidden you may be thinking well I don’t

think that’s absolutely necessary in and

I don’t think I just don’t think God

would speak to me that way yes he will

asking listen to this asking that you be

given you seek and you shall find

knocking that you’ll be open unto you

everyone who ask receive seeks finds

knocks opens as a promise so do you

believe the word of God if you believe

the Word of God you must believe

then when you come to him and ask

whatever the situation is he will answer

your petition I believe one of the most

important lessons we learn as a believer

is how do you listen to God now you

heard me say this many many times

obey God and do what is that what you’re

doing and you’ll be gone being all the

consequences in what that says is obey

God and trust them with everything would

you say that yard is trustworthy

that he can handle your everything

absolutely for the Hebrews it was a

cloud by day fire by night and trusting

Moses for us it’s the Living Word of God

then we have with us every day of our

life we can find out whatever we need to

find out we can find clear direction for

every single issue in life you said you

mean to tell me that you you believe

that God will give you a direction for

every single thing in your life yes like

what what would he not give me direction

for God listen God doesn’t act like we

do God is true to his word and in these

days this book is the most important

possession you have because here’s the

source of all the promises of Almighty

God and so many of us there are

grandparents what have you ever said

your grandchildren about the Bible have

you ever made that an issue with them

who do you talk to about the Word of God

how do you just take it for granted this

to us is like a cloud by day fire by

night and Moses was there Lena the Holy

Spirit is

leader so look how precious we okay good

God is us he let us be born of the time

when we got it right here

and the Holy Spirit to guide us um is if

you’ve never trusted Jesus as your

Savior

you should do so immediately so how do I

do that you ask God to forgive you of

your sins you acknowledge to him that

you believe that his death on the cross

paid your sin debt in full and that if

you confess your sins and surrender your

life to Him and accept him as your

Savior by faith that he forgives your

sins writes your name in the Lamb’s Book

of Life and your for other child of God

and developed by the Holy Spirit who

will help you interpret his word the

rest of your life that’s how your father

we bless you and praise you worship you

know though you treasure dear God your

precious word and pray that you will

lead every person who hears or watches

this message to know the truth and to

walk in your ways but we ask it in Jesus

name Amen

[Music]