Women of Faith - Following Gods Guidance

Imagine yourself in the checkout line at the grocery store. You overhear a conversation between two women behind you: One woman asks the other, What prompted you to shave off all of your hair? The response you hear is, God told me to. Might you wheel around and look at the woman with the shaved head to see if she looks as strange as her answer sounds?

For a moment, you might give her the benefit of the doubt and think maybe she feels God encouraged her to shave her head because she is starting chemo treatment. Or, with an odd twist of bizarre logic, you might conclude that perhaps she tends to sweat during hot weather and thinks God empathizes and made a suggestion. Perhaps those rationales dont satisfy you so you look again to see if there is a hint of crazy in her eyes. The truth is when people say God told me or I heard the voice of God, we often assume that person is unbalanced and find ways to avoid them.

You know, the Old Testament is filled with unsettling behavior from people who claimed to have heard the voice of God. Noah was told to build a boat in the desert to avoid a future and unprecedented flood. Moses heard from a burning bush that he was to deliver the Israelites from the tyranny of slavery in Egypt. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was told she carried the prophesied Messiah in her womb. Angels told shepherds to hurry off to Bethlehem, where they would find the newborn Messiah lying in a manger, of all places. These audible instructions dont seem as outlandish to us now because we know the outcome. There was indeed a devastating flood; Moses did lead the Israelites to Gods promised land; Jesus, the Messiah, was born to Mary; and the shepherds discovered Jesus in a humble stable in Bethlehem.

But for us twenty-first-century women, who dont receive instruction from burning bushes or bright stars, how does God communicate to us? How do we know what He wants us to do? When we want to do the right thing, make godly decisions, and Hes not talking out loud, how do we avoid mistakes? Can we miss His voice and mess up His plan? Those anxieties cause our heads to sweat.

You are holding in your hands a wonderfully balanced Bible study titled Following Gods Guidance. Though we no longer have the advantage of hearing an audible voice from God, this study teaches us the many ways God communicates with us through His Holy and inspired Words: the Bible.

For example, one of the ways God communicates to me through Scripture is to remind me of the brilliant truth found in Romans 12:2: Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. This message from God is huge; it covers everything. If I think negatively and have no confidence that God is working in my life, I am missing His encouraging voice to work on changing the way I think. The way I think is influenced by the study of Scripture as I read how God has consistently worked in the lives of His people throughout the ages. I am one of His people. He will work in my life too. I need to believe that and act upon it.

This study also discusses the kinds of voices God uses for us today. My favorite and most frequently experienced is His quiet nudging within my spirit. Often I feel a nudge that I cant deny. I know I am not imagining it, so where did the nudge come from? When I realize the nudge may be Gods voice, I quit excusing it, fighting it, or ignoring it. God is speaking to me. Wow! I dont share that in the grocery checkout line, but I tune in and listen.

You are going to find your mind and spirit enlarged as you work your way through this study. And, if you are using this as a study for a group, you are going to experience a sweet kinship with one another. Learning and growing in the company of others is one of my favorite experiences. If you are feeling the nudge, maybe you need to grab this study and start a group. Im just sayin...

Marilyn Meberg

Peace on the outside comes from knowing God on the inside.

Author Unknown

Life is filled with countless decisions, options, and opportunities. We face laundry lists of questions every day about our work, our families, and our faith journeys.

Every woman has grappled with questions like How do I know if Im following Gods plan for my life? or What does God want me to do in this situation? Whenever we face challenges, struggles, or important decisions, our first place to turn is to God. But who hasnt struggled to discern Gods voice just when we need it most?

Gods Word tells us that He is a lamp to our feet and light for our paths, but lamps often only illuminate our next step forward. When one of lifes storms blows through, it can feel as though were alone in the darkdesperately needing God to make Himself real and show us where to go. On calmer, well-lit days we may try to run ahead of God and do things on our own.

What does it mean to slow down, wait on God, and hear His voice through the darker and brighter spots in life? How can we walk with peace and confidence down the path God has for us no matter where it leads? What does it look like to have a vibrant relationship with God?

My hope and prayer is that through this study youll begin discovering Gods presence and voice in a fresh way. That as you get to know God and His Word, youll walk with joy into everything He has for you.

Blessings,

Margaret Feinberg

Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!