Isaiah 58:11 And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
This passage of scripture contains one of the many promises God has made to guide His people, and the word "Continually" is added to assure us that His guidance and direction will be granted us on an on-going basis. The results of His leadership are made clear in the same text, for the analogy of a watered garden speaks eloquently to us of positive results, just as a garden that is well irrigated produces much fruit and vegetables. Now it's very important for us to understand that God never forces His guidance on anyone, for the method of coercion is contrary to His manner of working, therefore, in order for God to guide us continually, we will have to ask and desire His guidance.
An everyday example of The Lord's guidance, and the request made for it, took place when David was contemplating a move to one of the cities of Judah, very similar to when we too are trying to decide whether we should relocate to a different place, or a different country. In this instance David humbly asked for God's guidance, and did not permit his finite knowledge of places and events to determine his next move. Usually when we decide to move to a next state or country, we often think of the environment of the place, whether there are good prospects for employment, and whether the housing and taxes are cheap, or whether we can purchase large swaths of land at relatively low prices.
But David did not allow all of these valid considerations to stop him from going to God in prayer to find out whether he should relocate, and to what specific city, if any, he should move to. This action by David, when carried out on a consistent basis in our lives of as Christians, causes the results of a "Watered garden" to characterize our experiences, for God is then able to bring His perfect foreknowledge into the equation, thus guiding us in the very best and safest paths possible. Let's read:
2nd Samuel 2:1 And it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the Lord said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron. 3 And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.
In our day to day experiences there are often decisions to me made that can adversely affect our later years, decisions that should never be made before waiting on God's guidance in the matter. Before any major move is made, or any serious decision is executed, we should always take our concerns or ideas to the Lord with a humble and teachable spirit, for confirmation or cancellation as the Lord sees fit. But never should we take it upon ourselves to plan and decide independently, without first asking God to guide us with His wisdom and discretion. When it was time for Lot to relocate, he did not pray and ask God's guidance, but instead he allowed the fertility of the place, coupled together with the various business opportunities and monetary advantages, to sway his decisions, and for a time everything seemed like if it was a winning move.
But sacred history shows us that he came out being the biggest loser, for he not only lost all of the material benefits he had acquired, but he lost almost his entire family, including his wife and two of his daughters. His two girl children who had escaped with him had become so influenced by the prevailing iniquity of Sodom, that they committed the sin of incest with their father, and Lot became the progenitor of the Moabites and the Ammonites, tribes that warred against Israel, and took Idolatry to a whole new level, until their cup of iniquity being filled, God found it necessary to blot them from the face of the earth. Let's read:
Genesis 19:36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. 37 And the first born bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. 38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.
Before we make any major move, and before we make any major decision, let us therefore be humble enough to consult God for wisdom, guidance, and direction, for if we were to adopt this approach in life, we will find that the decisions that are thus made will result in manifold blessings to others and ourselves, and thus we would be enabled to avoid the many pitfalls and snares that are laid for the feet of the unwary. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to seek God for guidance in everything, and if we do, we will never regret that we did. Let's read:
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!