Many individuals searching for insight in spiritual matters head directly to the local bookstore and its seemingly never-ending offerings. Today’s book markets are filled with the latest eye-catching and easily digested tomes regarding leadership, success, and overcoming your latest problem (i.e. divorce, finances, or rebellious children). The problem most people have is sorting through the “rich offerings” to find something that truly meets their need or offers insight for their personal situation. I find it interesting that if you search out the credentials of some writers in the area of finance that their most significant financial skill was finishing ninth grade algebra. Others come from unrelated fields to speak to issues with which they seem to be only vaguely familiar, even after 200 pages of graphs, charts, and factoids gleaned from their internet searches.
Another frequently used “source” is the internet where thousands of web-sites present suggestions and opportunities to get lost in the minutiae of your search engines’ exploration. Data is easily available today in multitudes of formats. The question is, does our thinking truly become insightful based on the abundance of opinions we can find represented? It does give us many sides to consider in debate.
Yet another common source is a bona fide “expert.” Medical doctors, pharmacists, nurses, or chiropractors in regard to medicine --- or witch doctors, natural medicine practitioners, or a host of “new age” health gurus or nuts (depending upon your point of view). Surely large corporation CEO’s can tell us the “secret” to financial success…if they only knew our questions that needed answering. But what about spiritual matters?
Do people even want spiritual advice and insight today? Do people reflect on divine principles? Are people interested in God’s way over the world’s way? Does anyone really value the insight of scripture? Of course they do…but the way of discovery is often an odd assortment of steps and faltering starts and even experiences of breaking faith in the midst of finding the way to God.
If you are looking for divine guidance, my suggestion is to slow down the search long enough to stop, put yourself in a place where you can avoid distractions for a time and start talking to God about the needs and circumstances of life that include your questions and your doubts and your fears and your choices….and ask God for help.
Plain and simple as that…ask God to help you; and if you mean it…He will. You don’t have to convince Him or prove to Him anything…just trust Him and ask for His help.
Amazingly helpful answers will come…some soon and some later, but they will come…and some very wonderful opportunities of joy…found in God’s grace and mercy and love…will be a part of your future. Trust God. Keep on learning from Him. He will show you the way. And he may allow a friend, a neighbor, a teacher, a pastor, the Bible, or some other messenger of His word and blessing to speak to your heart with His good news. As you pray…and as you seek His way…be listening…the things you need will be near you…as near as your heart’s door…as you would welcome Him to guide your life as you acknowledge Him as Lord of all.
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