Crossroads. North or south, east or west, which course will you choose? Which path will you take - God's will or your own ways? The choice is up to you.
In Proverbs 3:5 and 6, King Solomon wrote: "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and He shall direct thy paths."
When you face a crossroad in life, you need to wait on God until you can move forward with confidence that God is directing your path. The Bible says, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death" (Prov. 14:12).
Just because a certain path or course of action seems right, that is no guarantee it is right. And just because another path may seem unpleasant or contrary to what we would think is best does not mean it is wrong. Therefore, we must trust in the Lord and not lean to our own understanding or insight. We must rest assured that God knows the end from the beginning, and He will lead us in the way that is best for us.
None of us can afford to rely upon our own understanding. Because of our finite nature, we are limited. Even what we see and what we think we know can be very different from what is actually true. Only an all-wise, an all-knowing, and an all-loving God can be trusted to provide the very best for us in every area of our lives.
Each of us must ask ourselves one important question when we face a crossroad in life: Will the path we choose be a path that will fulfill God's plan for our lives? Or will it simply be a path that follows our own reasoning for what we want out of life?
When you choose to obey the will of God for your life, you put yourself in a position to hear and to receive God's guidance for the course and direction of your life. Obedience to God will keep you calm in the midst of chaos and will bring you through to victory in the face of defeat. But true obedience must be more than just a one-time action; obedience must be a lifestyle.
In true obedience, the element of humility is always present. I don't mean the false humility people "put on" in order to influence what others might think of them. I mean humility that is from the heart. Genuine humility is the result of true obedience, and humility keeps your heart tender and pliable before God so that you are always willing to say, "Lord, not my will, but Thy will be done."
Crossroads. Places of decision. If you walk in obedience before God day-by-day, moment-by-moment, you will be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading and instruction for you. Obedience increases the anointing of the Holy Spirit and expands the measure of God's grace upon your life. Disobedience decreases the anointing and limits the measure of grace you operate in.
If you make the decision to obey God - no matter what you may see, think, or feel - when you stand at a crossroad in your life, you will be able to hear the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit say, "...This is the way, walk ye in it..." (Isa. 30:21).
Excerpt permission granted by Faith Library Publications