“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you.”
Psalm 32:8-9 NKJV
You Can Position Yourself to Be Led by God!
Following God is more active than passive. This means that instead of waiting around to hear God’s voice wake you up in the middle of the night or waiting for Him to show you some spectacular sign in the sky, you can do things right now to position yourself to hear from God regarding anything you set your heart to do. One of the biggest mistakes we make as Christians is having a view of God that is not in alignment with His true nature as revealed by His Word. I want to share a powerful passage of scripture with you today that sheds light on the very beginning stages of how you can be led by God in an everyday sense.
When we see God the way He truly is, we position ourselves to hear His voice clearly and regularly. In this way, the Christian life becomes “naturally supernatural” and we learn to rely and lean upon His goodness, mercy, and grace as we make manifest His raw power made available by the Holy Spirit. The energy and power available to us is unlimited, but the amount of power we actually experience in our lives is directly proportional to the power that is at work within us based on our revelation of who God is (Ephesians 1:17; 3:20). In other words, we need a revelation of God’s nature before we can begin to follow Him and make any kind of significant impact on the earth.
God’s Heart Toward You
One of my favorite passages of scripture is found in Psalm 32. Verses 8 and 9 provide vivid insight into how God prefers to lead us and guide us. The pictorial language found here reveals God’s heart in a unique way that is not found anywhere else in the Bible. One of the most striking things here is the fact that God has a preferred method of doing things, but the actual method of His dealings with us largely are due to our response. The ball is in our court! Let’s check it out. Look again at Psalm 32:8-9:
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you.”
Psalm 32:8-9 NKJV
Here we have unmistakably clear insight into the heart of God! Isn’t the Bible amazing? If you take the time to study out the scriptures, the Holy Spirit will breathe fresh revelation into your soul directly from His heart to yours. Revelation from heaven will flow into your mind, flooding you with the power and insight of God, empowering and encouraging you to face whatever battle is before you with more than enough firepower. You may not feel ready right now, but by the power of the Holy Spirit and the Living Word of God, you will be fully dressed and well able to conquer any foe that you are facing in your life. The Name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit flowing through you will be more than enough to knock your foes off their feet—foes like anxiety, depression, hopelessness, loneliness, poverty, sickness, and anything else that threatens your life. When the dust settles, you will be the one on top, looking back, laughing, and praising God for the miraculous victory you just witnessed.
God wants you to prosper. His desire is that you thrive, not just survive, during your time on earth. The mere fact that He expresses His desire to lead us with His eye—not with a strong arm—is enough to get me excited. God desires nothing but good for you and me.
God’s Preferred Method
I want you to notice the first part of verse 8. The word translated “instruct” here is the Hebrew word sakal, which means: “to give insight, to teach, to prosper, have success, and to cause to prosper”. This is significant! God isn’t flippantly saying, “I’ll lead some of you some of the time”. No! This is a promise from God that reveals His nature. He desires to give us insight. He wants to teach us and lead us into success in life. He is working on your behalf to cause you to prosper, right now, at this very moment!
The word translated “teach” here is the Hebrew word yarah, and it carries the idea of “shooting forth (like an arrow), to direct, to teach, or to instruct”. God has perfect aim, and His desire is to lay out a well-planned path for you and me to walk out. He doesn’t do anything haphazardly, rather, God’s way is to clearly define our next steps and walk with us through them, one by one.
When He says, “I will guide you with My eye”, God is showing that His preferred method of leading us is through close relationship. His desire is that our gaze is continually focused on his face, so when He gives the slightest glance, we catch it.
In today’s language, this speaks of the deep, intimate connection that God is after with you and me. He would rather guide us with a glance from His eye—His presence, His face—than through external circumstances or pleading. The horse and mule are creatures that must be compelled to move and to obey using a bit and bridle, “else they will not come near you”.
Have you ever ridden a horse? While they are beautiful, majestic animals, they must be controlled with more than a glance from your eye—they must be taught who the boss is through force. A few years ago, my wife and I went horseback riding in Montana with her aunt, who owns horses and property. The horse I was to ride was a friendly but strong-willed, I was told. I learned that before I could really ride this horse the way I wanted to, I had to establish my dominance and leadership. She had to learn to trust me. It took time. She didn’t immediately adhere to every command of mine, but rebelled. Over time, I proved to her that I was to be trusted; I knew what I was doing, and she was safe with me.
Once she trusted me, she stopped fighting and we connected. I had that horse walking in circles and even right up to a cactus until her nose was just inches away from the sharp thorns. She stopped when I lightly pulled on the reins and waited for my next move. This horse had changed her tune and trusted that I knew what I was doing! But it took a bit and bridle to develop that relationship.
This is a good analogy for the way many people relate to God. God wants only good things for us, but because we don’t know Him, we rebel and push Him away. God desires to lead us and prosper us; for His plans are only good (Jeremiah 29:11), but the only way He could ever lead us into His goodness is through fits and starts. The problem isn’t on His end, it’s on ours. We are the ones that push Him away, not the other way around.
Some boast, “God really kept hounding me about this until I finally relented and obeyed Him.” That’s not a testimony. That’s tragic! God desires to lead us with His eye, as a son looking directly into his Father’s face—an idiom for worship and intimacy—not through circumstances or force. God leads us in the context of relationship.
Friend, I want to ask you today: does your relationship with God seem like the relationship between a horse and unfamiliar rider? This would be a great time to spend some time with the Lord and check your heart.
How to Get Started
So, what can you start doing today to step into a deeper level of understanding God’s will for your life? First, check your perception of God. Do you view God as unwilling to answer your prayers? Do you sense frustration? If you see God as anything but the most loving, kind, forgiving, and outrageously generous person in the world, it may be time to consider what I’m saying here today.
If you need a perspective shift, read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and study the life of Jesus, who exemplified the exact personality and nature of God the Father (see Hebrews 1:3). Read the Word with your heart, not with your head. The Bible is meant to feed your spirit; not puff up your head knowledge. You and I are after revelation knowledge. This type of understanding goes much deeper than mental assent.
Second, make it your chief aim to practice the art of intimacy with the lover of your soul, Jesus Christ. You and I are His wedding Bride, after all. We had better get used to that fact sooner rather or later! Intimacy with God doesn’t have to be weird or hyper-spiritual. Just “be” with Him. Prioritize time to spend alone with God. Be mindful of your language in prayer. Would you want to listen to everything you say in “prayer”? Seriously. If most of your prayer life revolves around talking about yourself, your needs, and asking for things, your intimacy with God may be on the back burner.
We need to get to the point where we tell Him “I love you!” and we hear Him speak tenderly to our hearts, “I love you too! Thank you for spending time with me today, I’ve really enjoyed it!”. You need to learn the art of resting and enjoying gazing into His beautiful face. In the context of a love relationship, you will hear from God. It’s like when a couple spends enough time together, they eventually end up finishing each other’s sentences. It’s like that.
By no means have we exhausted the discussion on finding, following, and fulfilling God’s will for your life, but this should be an insightful encouragement that helps you fine-tune your hearing and counter a few religious obstacles that stand between you the victorious life ahead. Misconceptions about God’s loving nature and His willingness to prosper you in every way (3 John 2) can be easily uprooted by an honest, prayerful study of the Word of God. The myth that God’s will is “unknowable” and mysterious is an attempt by the devil to muddy the waters and convince people that God is distant and quiet. You are smarter than that! God is a good God, and He is actively pursuing you with everything He’s got.
Questions to Consider
Hearing from God and following His voice is the most exciting and fulfilling adventure anyone could ever dream of! If you are ready to step out into your purpose in life, it is imperative that you cultivate a lifestyle of listening and following the leading of the Lord. Even though religious teaching has distorted the living, breathing relationship that is possible with God through intimacy, we can build cultures in our personal lives and in our families that produce the results promised and outlined in the Bible.
We can be shining lights in a dark world, living like no one else. When your neighbors wonder why you are so happy, healthy, consistent, excellent, unflustered, and victorious, they will begin to ask questions. Always remember, if you are born again, you have the very thing that your unbelieving friends, neighbors, and colleagues are desperate for! Following the leadership of the Holy Spirit is the way you can move forward today in accomplishing the impossible, bringing peace and life to those around you, and manifesting the glory of God on the earth!
Consider taking a few moments to ask yourself the following questions:
● Do you have the desire and passion burning in you to be directed, guided, and led by God? Can you name one thing that may be holding you up from taking the next step forward?
● Have you been led by God? If so, what was it like? How did it feel to step out in faith and follow what God spoke to you about doing? How would you describe that experience to a friend? If you haven’t yet, what do you think it will be like? Can you think of an example in the Bible of someone following God’s leadership? Why don’t you spend some time meditating on this story or character and let the Holy Spirit minister to you through the Word?
● Do you consider intimacy with God to be a weird concept? Why or why not? What does a deeper level of intimacy with God look like to you right now? How will this new level of personal relationship with the Lord affect your family, your children/grandchildren, and your church family?
As always, it is my ambition to deliver to you, my friend, comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God! Peace!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
I love this Scripture from Psalms. The example you used about riding the horse in Montana was a great illustration, especially how the horse stopped just a few inches from a cactus! That is trust! Wow! I love it. Very encouraging & applicable to my life right now! Thank you!
Sally, I was blown away by that horse’s trust in me (hours ago a perfect stranger)! We can trust God with everything!
I have gone to Psalm 32:8 many times, but the emphasis on being led by his eye is so Timely and meaningful to me. Thanks Justin, keep up the good work, Uncle Dan
Thank you for saying so Dan! Love you!