Listen for God's Guidance

We listed benefits of listening to God in yesterday’s post. There is more, under the theme “God’s Guidance:”

Psalm 23: 2 He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.
Psalm 139:9-10 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, 10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.
Psalm 25:9 He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way.
Psalm 73:24 You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.

Isaiah 30:21 Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,whether to the right or to the left.”
Isaiah 42:16 I will lead blind Israel down a new path, guiding them along an unfamiliar way. I will brighten the darkness before them and smooth out the road ahead of them. Yes, I will indeed do these things; I will not forsake them.

John 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.
Deuteronomy 32:11-12 Like an eagle that rouses her chicks and hovers over her young, so he spread his wings to take them up and carried them safely on his pinions. 12 The Lord alone guided them; they followed no foreign gods. Psa.27: 11 Teach me how to live, O Lord. Lead me along the right path, for my enemies are waiting for me.

One of the greatest, if not the greatest, experiences of my life has been to build a pole barn. "How in the world can building a pole barn be your greatest experience? " you ask. Let me tell you why.

We had purchased 17 acres of raw land near Birmingham to build a small horse ranch. I asked my dad, who was so capable with building skills, to help me. I had always wanted a close relationship with him. That hadn’t happened and it didn’t happen with the barn. His comment was, “I’m too old.”

I believe, no, I know, it was God who said to me. “I’ll be your father. We’ll build this barn together.” And what a great time we had – building and conversing together. The two -year project began with, "Father, how are we going to build this barn? I prayerfully drew up a set of plans. A neighbor, an architect, examined the plans, made a couple tweaking suggestions and, like Noah, I was off to build my "ark."

Holes were dug 6 feet apart for a 30 by 30 structure. 14 foot poles cemented in. Dialogue with God flourished. "How do I do this, Papa? Thank you for wisdom on that maneuver, Father. What's next, Papa?" One day I recall saying, “Papa Father, how am I going to get that 2 by 12 by 12 feet long to span the top of those12 foot poles?” After a moment, the proper maneuver came to me. And up went the span. Numerous would be the examples I could list, seeking God’s guidance. Receiving it and being blessed by it. So exciting to have a practical fellowship with the Creator of the Universe, seeking and receiving His leadership.

No more barn-building for me now - just working with barnwood: making furniture, birdhouses, picture frames etc. Still talking and listening to the Father for guidance in those projects.

God's guidance: one of the blessings of listening to Him.