Ian Hamilton on Guidance

We all pray for the Lord's guidance, don't we? Should we? Ian Hamilton shares his thoughts on God's Guidance in this article at the Banner of Truth. Its certainly worth a read. Hamilton reminds us, In Matthew 6:25ff, Jesus gently rebuked his disciples for worrying about the future. They were worrying about where the next meal would come from, and how they would be able to clothe themselves. Jesus' antidote, to their only too human concerns, was to remind them of the caring, loving heavenly Father who knew perfectly and intimately all their needs: 'your heavenly Father knows'. He called them to have a renewed trust in the sovereign goodness and gracious omniscience of their Father in heaven. Having directed them to the perfect Father, Jesus then spoke these words to his 'little faith' (v. 30) disciples: 'But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well'. He then goes on to write, The key to guidance lies in the child of God believing that his Father is perfectly good and desires and pursues only his best...Listen again to your Saviour, 'Your heavenly Father knows . . . But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness . . .' Your heavenly Father is the sovereign King of the cosmos. He bends the universe to do his holy will. Your responsibility and mine is to 'do the next thing' i.e. the next thing that is pleasing to the Lord. He is well able to overrule our follies and stupidities. I have often thought that Augustine had it right when he said, 'Love God and do what you like.' Do you think this is a recipe for sheer hedonism? Far from it. To love God is to keep his commandments, to live to make his pleasure and praise the chief business of your life. The Christian who truly loves the Lord will only ever want to please him — pleasing HIM is what the child of God loves above all to do.

"He is well able to overrule our follies and stupidities."? Whew, I sure need that, all kidding aside, I need that and I'm sure some of you do, too. Let's give thanks to our Father who guides and directs regardless of what we do & "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness."