The Way Finder

How well did the disciples understand “the way” that Jesus described?

“I am the way, the truth, and the life,” Jesus said. “Without me you can do nothing.” — John 14:6; 15:5

We often pray for God’s direction as though we are standing at a crossroads waiting for him to point toward the correct road.

• Lord, should I go this way or that way?

• What should I do next?

• Where are you taking me?

Those are good questions. Yet sometimes God seems strangely silent. We ask, listen, wait, and hear nothing that resembles a clear answer. Then something interesting happens. We move forward, and later we realize we were doing exactly what God wanted us to do.

Perhaps God’s direction doesn’t always come as an audible answer, a dramatic sign, or a detailed itinerary. Sometimes his direction comes through a life increasingly surrendered to him.

The closer we walk with God, the more he can be our step-by-step guide and the less we might think we need a map.

God Knows What We Need When We Don’t

One of the hardest lessons of faith is accepting that God understands our needs better than we do. We often approach prayer with a list.

• Lord, I need this.

• I need that.

• I need you to fix this situation.

• I need you to tell me what happens next.

Our needs perception is limited. We can be like the child asking Mom for candy to satisfy a craving for sweets. If we can understand the extent of God’ vision, understanding, and love for us, we might expect him to be like the parent who says no, perhaps without explanation. “Dinner will be ready in a few minutes.” The child understands desire. The parent understands need. As God’s child, we naturally ask for what we want. But with God’s guidance, we might shift our focus onto what we really need.

We don’t always know the Lord’s will and what to pray for, but the Spirit prays through us with groaning that English words cannot express. — Romans 8:26

Jesus said our Father knows our needs before we ask (Matthew 6:8). That doesn’t mean we should stop asking. It means we can ask without demanding, expecting him to say no when he has something better in mind.

We have this confidence in our Lord: he listens to everything we ask that matches what he wants to do. He hears everything we ask, so we can be sure he will answer our desires in the best possible way. — 1 John 5:14–15

Surrender to God’s will is one of the foundations of divine direction.

God May Be Leading Even When He Seems Silent

We sometimes assume that if God hasn’t given us a clear answer, he hasn’t answered at all. But think about how a shepherd leads sheep. He doesn’t constantly shout instructions. Two steps forward. Turn three degrees left. Stop. Move again. No, the sheep stay near the shepherd and respond as he leads.

Jesus used exactly this picture

My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me. — John 10:27

He didn’t say his sheep receive a five-year strategic plan. They follow.

We may pray repeatedly for direction while God is already shaping our desires, opening and closing opportunities, giving us wisdom, placing people in our lives, making certain choices uncomfortable, and producing peace about others. His guidance may be quieter than we expected. Looking back, we sometimes see it clearly.

• That conversation changed everything.

• That door closing saved me from a terrible mistake.

• That unexpected opportunity placed me exactly where I needed to be.

• That delay turned out to be a blessing.

God’s silence doesn’t mean he is absent. Sometimes he’s directing us in ways we recognize only afterward.

David Wanted More Than Direction

Without a doubt, David wanted God’s guidance, but his deepest longing went beyond instructions. He wanted God.

I will seek from the Lord what I want more than anything else: to live with him in his house every day of my life, to recognize his greatness and learn from him. — Psalm 27:4

He wasn’t merely asking, “What should I do?” He wanted to live continually conscious of God’s presence. That changes everything.

Imagine walking through an unfamiliar forest with an expert guide beside you. You might ask for a map showing every turn over the next twenty miles. The guide might simply say, “Stay with me.” Which is safer? Having the map? Or having the guide? A map can be misunderstood. Conditions can change. Trails can become blocked. But if the person who knows the terrain is walking beside you, you have something better than information. You have presence.

That may be what David understood. God’s presence was more valuable than knowing everything that was ahead.

Abraham Followed God Without Knowing the Destination

Abraham provides another powerful picture of divine direction.

By faith, Abraham left his homeland when God called him to go to another place, which would become his inheritance from the Lord. But at the time he left, he didn’t know where he was going or how he would get there. By faith, he lived in the land of promise as if this was not his home either, dwelling in movable tents, as Isaac and Jacob also did, who were heirs of the same promise. — Hebrews 11:8–9

That sounds terribly inefficient by modern standards. We want addresses. Schedules. Coordinates. Arrival times. Abraham had a command: “Go.” What was he anticipating?

He was looking for a permanent home, a city whose architect and builder was God. — Hebrews 11:10

Abraham’s faith wasn’t built upon knowing where he was going. It was built upon knowing who was leading him.

Modern GPS systems require us to enter a destination before they can calculate a route. Following God works differently. We might know the destination, but we find out how we’ll get there one step at a time. God knows both.

Our responsibility is simply to take the next step he gives us.

Why We Sometimes Resist God’s Direction

Not everyone really wants God’s direction. Sometimes we want God’s approval of where we want to go. There is an enormous difference.

Several kings in Scripture disliked prophets who delivered messages they didn’t want to hear. King Ahab complained about the prophet Micaiah.

“There is Micaiah son of Imiah,” Ahab said, “but I hate him. He never prophesies anything good about me, only bad.” — 1 Kings 22:8

Ahab’s problem wasn’t lack of information. He had plenty of information. He simply didn’t like what God had to say. Do people ever feel this way? Sometimes. We might ask God for direction while secretly hoping he will confirm what we have already decided. When Scripture challenges us, we might be inclined to believe what we grew up thinking was true. When wise counsel disagrees with us, we might dismiss it. Circumstances can bring warnings, but we explain them away. When truth becomes uncomfortable, we sometimes prefer a comforting lie.

[Jesus said,] “People who do evil hate the light and will not come near it for fear that the light will expose their sins. But those who love truth and desire to do right will come to the light so others can see they are doing what God wants.” — John 3:20–21

Truth threatens anything built upon deception. That is why surrender matters so much. A person who really does want God’s direction should be eager to hear whatever he has to say.

Yesterday’s Direction Isn’t Enough for Today

God’s faithfulness yesterday should give us confidence today, but yesterday’s instructions may not be today’s instructions. Consider Israel in the wilderness. God provided manna daily. They were not supposed to hoard several weeks’ supply. God gave them what they needed for each day.

Jesus later taught an important aspect of prayer:

“Give us the bread we need for today.” — Matthew 6:11

Daily bread suggests daily dependence. That applies to more than food. We need fresh wisdom. Fresh strength. Fresh patience. Fresh courage. Fresh direction. Yesterday’s grace was sufficient for yesterday. Today has its own responsibilities.

God’s love has no conditions. His mercy and kindness never ends. Great is his faithfulness, made new every morning. — Lamentations 3:22–23

God doesn’t merely give us one enormous lifetime supply of strength and say, “Make it last.” He invites us to return. Again. And again. And again.

Direction Includes Knowing What Not to Do

We often think of direction as God telling us what action to take. But direction also includes restraint. Sometimes God guides us by saying, “Not that.”

The apostle Paul said he and his companions intended to preach in certain areas, but the Holy Spirit prevented them (Acts 16). Then he received the Macedonian vision, leading them in another direction. God’s guidance included both closed and open doors.

The Spirit may similarly develop within us a growing sensitivity toward what is wise, truthful, loving, and consistent with God’s character. Something may look attractive but feel wrong. A conversation may be tempting but unnecessary. An opportunity may appear profitable but compromise something important. A response may feel satisfying but lack love.

You will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way to go. Walk in that direction,” and you will turn to the right or left as you are led. — Isaiah 30:21

Sometimes that inner awareness says, “Walk here.” Sometimes it says, “Don’t walk there.” Both are direction.

Hearing God Is More Than Learning a Technique

Entire books have been written about hearing God’s voice. Some are helpful. Yet there is a danger in turning spiritual discernment into a mechanical formula. Step one. Step two. Step three. Now God speaks.

God isn’t a radio station we tune in through the correct technique. Relationship comes first. Sometimes the problem isn’t that God has failed to communicate. The problem might be that we haven’t yet decided whether we’re willing to obey. Before asking, “How can I hear God?” it may be useful to ask: “If I knew exactly what God wanted, would I do it?” That question goes deeper. It exposes the real issue.

Are we committed primarily to ourselves, or to God?

The Next Step May Be All We Need

We often want God to show us twenty steps. God may show us one.

Your Word is a lamp to keep my feet from stumbling, a light that shines before me to show the way you want me to go. I have sworn to do your will. I am fully committed to doing what you say is right. — Psalm 119:105–106

A lamp illuminates enough ground to walk safely. It doesn’t necessarily illuminate the entire landscape.

Picture walking along a dark trail carrying a flashlight. You can see twenty feet ahead. You walk that far. Then another twenty feet appears. Eventually, you arrive somewhere you could never see when the journey began. Faith often works that way.

• We want floodlights. God gives a flashlight.

• We want the destination. God gives the next step.

• We want certainty. God asks for trust.

Trust God with your whole being, and don’t rely solely upon what you think is true. Let the Lord guide everything you do, and he will keep you on the right path. Don’t think you can decide on your own what is best for you. Respect what the Lord says you should do, and refuse to do wrong. — Proverbs 3:5–7

Direction follows trust.

When God Himself Becomes the Direction

Perhaps the highest form of divine guidance isn’t receiving instructions from God but is walking so closely with him that following becomes natural.

Imagine a small child walking through a crowded place while holding a parent’s hand.

• The child doesn’t need to know the complete route.

• The child doesn’t need to understand traffic patterns.

• The child doesn’t need to study a map.

• The child simply keeps holding the hand.

That may be one of the best pictures of faith. God knows where we’re going, what awaits us, and what we need. He knows what we should avoid, when we should move, and when we should wait. Can we be comfortable with not knowing? Yes, when we’re sure everything will be all right as we walk with him.

I’m with you, walking with you, thankful that you hold my hand. Show me the way I should go, and then you will receive me with honor. Who do I want besides you? In the realm above and the earth below, your presence with me is more important than anything else. — Psalm 73:23–25

What a beautiful picture. Held. Guided. Together. Maybe our greatest prayer for direction should not be: “Lord, show me everything that is coming.” Perhaps it should be: “Lord, keep me close enough to follow.”

Fresh Direction for Today

There’s nothing wrong with asking God what comes next. We should ask. We should listen. We should search Scripture. We should seek wisdom. We should notice open and closed doors. But after all our asking, there comes a point when we must trust.

God has already brought us farther than we could have brought ourselves. His past faithfulness gives us reason to trust his present leadership.

• We don’t need tomorrow’s strength today.

• We don’t need next year’s map.

• We may not even need to understand where the current road leads.

• We need enough grace for today and enough light for the next step.

If we can live continually aware of God’s presence—holding his hand, listening to his Spirit, and surrendering our desires to his—we may discover something even better than getting directions. We have the Guide.

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