Led Of God

Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go.

Nehemiah 9:19

 I once went before the Lord with a question I felt was legitimate. In fact, I don’t doubt that the very question burning in my heart to ask my heavenly Father came directly from Him. I asked God what, out of everything, was the most important thing, the absolute necessity for someone (me) to do His will and not my own. I knew that we are commanded to love our neighbor, to walk by faith, to pay our tithes, to read His word, to pray and fellowship with Him, to speak His word and witness to the Salvation that is in Christ Jesus, to heal the sick, to cast out devils, to speak with other tongues, etc.  But I wanted to know what was the most important thing for me to know in doing His will and not my own. Well, what do you think He told me? You know I marvel that the answer came so softly and sweetly to my ear.

James 3:1James 3:17
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable,gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality,and without hypocrisy.

While I was almost in disbelief at what was said to me, I quickly began to realize that it was true and verifiable from the Word of God by at least two witnesses; therefore I knew I was on to something. The Scriptures plainly tell us that the wisdom that is from above (meaning from God) is first pure. It’s like milk and honey, nothing added just wholesome goodness, which is easy to be swallowed, digested and assimilated. Next it is peaceable and gentle. How many times are the things of God missed due to lack of peace? Thank God we have peace with Him through Jesus Christ our Lord.

            Romans 5:1b we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Peace is something we have with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. It’s not something we need to get or something to be prayed for, we have it.

            Ephesians 2:14a For he is our peace,

Jesus Christ is our peace; as a result we have this promise to claim from God’s word.

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus

Notice that it is the peace of God that passeth all understanding. I used to view the above Scripture to mean that the peace of God surpassed (it was higher or beyond) all understanding. Traditionally, I believe most people view it to mean that. Could it not, however, also be viewed in the following light? Imagine sitting at the dinner table and asking someone to pass you the salt. The person is the means by which you receive the salt. Well, it’s the peace of God that passes ALL understanding. Without the peace of God our understanding would be unfruitful. But how is it accomplished?

Again, it’s through Christ Jesus. If you want to get in touch with the Almighty God, you have to be sure and knock on the right door!

John 10:7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

We shall find pasture (that’s food to eat or sustenance) when we go in by Him.

Now this has been a lengthy, yet necessary, introduction to the subject at hand. We are talking about the most important thing required of an individual to do the will of God and not His own. The most important thing then is to be led by God Almighty Himself. That’s right, being led of God top’s all if we are to truly to do His will. Let’s look at some of the following examples from the Book of Books to see this truth illustrated. First and foremost, there is our Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 4:11 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

Jesus was full of the Holy Ghost and He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. Whose will do you think He was doing as He was being led? Didn’t Jesus always do the will of the Father? Yes He did, Praise God!

John 4:34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

John 5:30b because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

Matthew 26:42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

Of course, Jesus Christ did the Father’s will and not His own. We don’t have a better example in all the Word of God where someone so completely did God’s will. What was the first, necessary element? He was led by God.

      Matthew 4:1a Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness

When we are led by the Spirit of God, we will be in the right place at the right time and in a position to accomplish His will. Look at the example of our Lord. He was led of the Spirit into the wilderness (the Leader and the place) for what purpose? To be tempted of the devil. Well wait a minute someone says, “God doesn’t tempt man with evil, it’s in the Bible.” Exactly, God doesn’t tempt man with evil and neither did He tempt His Son Jesus Christ. Look at the rest of the verse. What does it say?

      Matthew 4:1b to be tempted of the devil.

That’s right! Jesus Christ was led by God into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. So we can see the leader (God) the one being led (Jesus Christ) the place (wilderness) and the purpose (to be tempted of the devil.)

As we have already seen, Jesus Christ always did the Father’s will. So the purpose of God is of utmost importance when we are led by Him. It is His will that needs doing, not our own.

Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

It served God’s purpose for His Son to be tempted of the devil. As a result we have a high priest that knows our every temptation and therefore is able to strengthen us.

Hebrews 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Thus one can see the importance of the Lord’s prayer and our asking Him to “lead us not into temptation.” In being led by God and through the temptations He faced plus the things He suffered, Jesus Christ learned something that is absolutely necessary if we are to do God’s will and not our own. I’m speaking of OBEDIENCE.

Hebrews 5:8: Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

There is a necessary attribute; however, one must have before one becomes obedient. I am of course speaking of humility or humbleness. Again, Jesus Christ our Lord is the example.

Philippians 2:5-8 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross

Jesus Christ HUMBLED himself and as a result BECAME obedient. Remember He learned obedience through “the things which He suffered.” Now I don’t think that the Lord necessarily had to ‘learn things the hard way’ as do many of us, but the Word of God states that He became obedient. Jesus Christ wasn’t a robot or some kind of humanoid that was programmed or cloned to be at some mad scientist’s beckon call. He was the sinless Son of God who had a ministry to fulfill and a job to perform.

How about you? Have you been given a ministry to fulfill and a job to perform? If yes, (which by the way, all believers’ have) how will we go about ensuring that we do the will of God?

Humility is necessary if we are to be obedient, and we must be obedient if we are to do God’s will, therefore we must humble ourselves. Look at this next verse of Scripture with me and see if it doesn’t give a definition of Humbleness, which leads to obedience.

2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

What part of the Christian exalts itself against the knowledge of God? The carnal mind does, of course.

            Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God

In desiring to do God’s will, Christians sometimes build up their knowledge, only to go further away from God and the performing or doing of His will. Look at the following concerning imaginations and see what trouble it brings to people who use their imaginations wrongly.

Romans 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

It says they became vain in their imaginations and as a result, “their foolish hearts were darkened.” They went away from doing the will of God. This is also recorded concerning the state of the world in the time of Noah before the Flood.

Genesis 6:5: And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Take a good hard look at the world and times in which we live today. Watch the movies, listen to the music and see the increased violence and drug use. Turn on television and watch the news. We are not far from the same being said about our day and time. That is, “every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Indeed, except for a few, “God is not in all their thoughts.”

Psalms 10:4: The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.

Thus, in these the closing ours before the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, we need to be led by the Spirit of God if we are going to do His will. This will require humility and obedience if we are to be successful in our ministries and complete the course that God has set for each and every one of His children.

Sometimes a Christian’s enthusiasm may take him or her out of the realm of being led by God to being led by his or her own enthusiasm. There’s nothing wrong with enthusiasm, as long as it doesn’t take the place of being led of God. King David was an enthusiastic believer of old, yet he didn’t allow his enthusiasm to take the place of being led by the Spirit of God.

1 Samuel 30:1-4 And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;

And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.

So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.

Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 

Now imagine how David, this mighty warrior and giant slayer felt. While he was out with his army to defend Israel from a huge invasion of the Philistine armies, the Amalekites came round and invaded from the south taking their women and children while burning the city of Ziklag. Remember that David was a mighty man of war. Imagine how he felt when he returned from the battlefield to find his home destroyed and his wives and children missing. How would you feel? I don’t know about you, but I would want revenge and I mean, NOW! David not only had his loss and grief to contend with but we see that his company wanted to stone him for the loss of their homes and wives and children as well. They blamed David. Quite a mess, right? Well, what did David do?

1 Samuel 30:6-8 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod.  And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.

And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop?  shall I overtake them?  And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all. 

“But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.” David inquired of the Lord. He sought God’s help. He sought and expected God to lead him, which God, who is faithful, then did. Remember the carnal mind would have said “let’s go get’em,” “let me at’em” but David inquired of the Lord and then obeyed.

1 Samuel 30:9a So David went,.

David was humble (he sought the Lord and didn’t rely on his own skills as a leader or soldier) and then he was obedient to what the Lord had told him to do. He went after them because he got the go ahead that he would “without fail recover all.”

Well, what do you suppose happened? How did things turn out for the man who was led by God? What was God’s will? Remember, God’s word to David was, “thou shalt surely overtake them and without fail recover all.” David, being led by God, was now in a very good position to do the will of God. Don’t forget that we have the leader (God) the one being led, (David) the place, and the purpose, (thou shalt recover all.) I point these out because as we are led by God we can expect to know the same things so that we are in the position to do God’s will.

1Samuel 30:17-19 And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.

And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.

And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.

Indeed David recovered all because he was led by God and did God’s will.

David, as much as any great man of the book, knew what it was to be led by God.

Psalms 27:11: Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.

His desire was to be led by God and to do the will of God.

Psalms 43:3a O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me;

Look at the following promises concerning the type or kind of leadership we can expect from God.

Proverbs 8:20a I lead in the way of righteousness,

Proverbs 4:11b I have led thee in right paths.

Psalms 23:3: He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

God’s leadership is in the paths of righteousness along right paths. The second oldest lie in the Book is still one of the devils favorites and unfortunately for far too many Christians just as effective today as when it was first used. I’m speaking of “ye shall be as Gods knowing both good and evil.” It’s this false promise of independence from God that people fall for thinking that they can lead themselves which the word of God simply says, can’t be.

Proverbs 20:24: Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?

Also remember that the way of man is not in himself, therefore we either will choose to be led by God, or we will be led by someone (including ourselves) or something else. Jeremiah the prophet makes this clear to all who will to see.

Jeremiah 10:23: O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

What are our choices if we are not led of God? Far too many Christians are being led by other men, or they attempt to lead themselves. What does God’s word say about who was leading us before we became born-again sons of God?

Ephesians 2: 2,3 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

One need not be a Bible scholar to understand who the Word of our God is referring to when it says that we walked “according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.” God’s Word further states that we were “fulfilling the lusts of the flesh and of the mind.” This obviously means that we were not doing the will of God because “the flesh profiteth nothing” and because “the carnal mind is enmity against God.”

Christians need to choose to be led by their God, without that conscious choice on the part of the Christian; they are in a vulnerable state to God’s archenemy, of whom we are warned to be sober and vigilant.

1Peter 5:8: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Ultimately, as God’s word declares, our being led by God is a walk of faith.

Hebrews 11; 6: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

2Corinthians 5:7: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

As we are led we will be proved, as our faith is tried we will have patience and its’ perfect work, that we may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. In other words, we will be led by the leader, we will be in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing, which is, the will of God. Thus we will prove what is that “perfect will of God.”

James 1:3,4 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Romans 12:2b that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Finally, we will be able to say like Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles said so long ago, “I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” Therefore let us put aside the weight that does so easily beset us and seek the leadership of God. Let us put away our feeble attempts at self-leadership or the profitless following of vain men, and seek the leadership of the One, True and Everlasting God. In so doing, we can and will be able to say that we are truly, “led of God.”

John 7:17: If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.