Direction In Times Of Confusion

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth.
–John 14:16-17

The Holy Spirit gives us power in times of temptation. But when we are controlled by the Spirit, He offers us a second benefit: direction in times of confusion.

You and I face decisions all the time. Maybe you are facing a monumental decision in your life right now: Should I take this job offer? Should I move to this other city? Should I marry this person? What should I do about my child who has wandered away from the faith?

I have some great news for you: When you are looking for guidance, Jesus will give you the direction you need. He said in John 10:27, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” You might say, “That sounds great, Pastor, but how exactly am I supposed to get that guidance? How does Jesus speak to me?”

How does God reveal His will when we are trying to make a decision? Sometimes God speaks through His Word, the Bible. Sometimes He speaks to us through prayer. Sometimes He speaks to us through wise counsel from other people. But one way God speaks to us and leads us is through His Holy Spirit.

Many Christians overlook the simple truth that the Holy Spirit is the one who gives us direction in life. In John 14, Jesus was giving His disciples some final instructions and words of encouragement before His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. He said, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever” (v. 16). Who is that Helper? Jesus continued, “That is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you” (v. 17). And here is a great promise in verse 18: “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

Romans 8:14 says, “All who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.” Have you ever had a sudden prompting to make a telephone call or send an email to somebody? Have you ever planned a trip and then had an inclination that maybe you had better not go? Have you ever felt the urge to change your route to work one morning? All these things we sometimes call “intuition” or a “sixth sense” are often the leading of the Holy Spirit of God in our lives. One of the benefits of being filled with the Spirit is He will direct us in the way we should go.

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Today’s devotion is excerpted from “What The Holy Spirit Can Do For You” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2011.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.