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Good morning, brothers and sisters. We are talking about clear direction today—something that is essential in one's life. God will help us in the name of Jesus.
When we look at the word of God, our text comes from Psalm 32, verses 7 and 8. Let me read these verses with you:
Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
You see, the word of God gives us this understanding: everything in Scripture points to Jesus Christ. Anything that does not talk about Jesus Christ, anything that does not follow His footsteps, is merely normal knowledge. It may be knowledge, but it is just ordinary knowledge. God will help us in the name of Jesus.
Let's break down what the Psalmist is saying. First, he declares: "Thou art my hiding place." God continues to be our hiding place in the name of Jesus.
Then, in verse 8, He says: "I will instruct thee; I will teach thee in the way; I will guide thee with mine eye."
Notice that the Lord is giving us three things: instruction, teaching, and guidance. But why are all three necessary? Why does He not simply instruct us once and leave it at that?
You see, there are many ways that people can instruct you. Knowledge is very broad. It depends on what you believe, what your faith line is, what your philosophy is. There are many different kinds of truth. The pragmatist believes you must dig deep to know what is truth. The Muslim has many good reasons why they believe in their god. But we, as followers of Christ, must have a real direction—a clear revelation—to know why we believe in Him. That is why He says: "I will instruct you in the way."
What is that way? The word of God makes us understand in the book of John 14: "I am the way." That is the first thing. Jesus is the way.
But instruction alone is not enough. The second part of verse 8 says: "I will teach thee." Teaching is different from instruction. You can know the way, but you might not know the truth that makes the way. There is a way that seems right to a man, but it leads to death. It is a way, but is it the way of Christ? Whatever your journey might be in life, you must ask yourself: Is the way I am following the way of Christ? Am I using Jesus as my life model and example?
Then He says: "I will teach thee in the way which is in the truth." The truth of the knowledge of Christ—this is essential. When we were in primary school, we only knew that one plus one is two. But when we get to university, we discover there are many ways to calculate, many levels of mathematics. Similarly, there are different kinds of ways, and different kinds of truths.
Jesus emphasized mostly on the truth because this is where people play their games. Psychologists tell us that people conform easily and obey easily. But obedience without a true heart is not real obedience. You see people say, "Yes, pastor, I agree with you," but it is not from the heart. When Monday comes and life gets hard, their true nature unfolds. But when you speak from your heart, that is the best you have to give.
Jesus said: "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32) It is your responsibility to dig deep and know the truth. When someone gives you a topic, you must want to know more about it. You must understand the reason behind that word and what it means for your life now and in the future.
That is why in this church, every month we go deep into the Scriptures. The Bible says: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." Truth comes again and again in God's Word.
There are higher truths and lesser truths. The Old Testament contains truths, and the New Testament contains truths. But the New Testament is the higher truth because it shows us Christ. The Old Testament was walking in a shadow of Christ. When you know Christ and follow His life, that is the fullness of truth.
Finally, He says: "I will guide thee with mine eye." This is the bigger picture—the life of Christ. Jesus did not stop at saying, "I am the way" and "I am the truth." He said: "I am the life." There is no other life. There is no power that can compete with that one.
Every power can play a game. They can say, "This is the truth," and "This is the way," but if it is not carrying Christ, it is not the life. If you are not carrying Christ, then you will not see Him and recognize that life. That is why a Muslim who is good can easily become a Christian. That is why anyone can become a Christian when they see the real life. Nobody will tell you twice to leave darkness when you have seen the real light of Christ.
The Bible says in Psalm 37:5: "Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass."
Commit your ways unto the Lord, no matter what you are passing through. Sometimes when you are struggling, it is a sign that greater glory is coming. But do not allow that struggle to swallow you. Whatever you are passing through today is a stepping stone for your glory.
Look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2) He endured the cross, despising the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. No matter what the way wants to bring to you, let the way of Christ be the strength within you to overcome every obstacle. Whoever has Christ has everything. Everything you are looking for, let it be in the way of your Savior.
The Bible also says in Psalm 37:7: "Rest in the LORD." Sometimes the problem is that we do not have the patience to rest in Him. When you truly trust in God, you will have the spirit of patience. It is when you do not trust in God that you have a plan B. When something small goes wrong, you try another way. But God will help us in the name of Jesus.
The truth of God is so essential in everything concerning the life we need. But do not just know the truth as mere head knowledge. Know the truth as a spiritual revelation. The word of God is good, but if you read it carelessly, without applying the life of Christ, it cannot produce life. It is only when you apply the life of Christ to the word that it gives life and victory.
Romans 8:1 says: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." It is only after the truth in the revelation of Christ that there is no condemnation. Without that revelation, there is still condemnation—and that condemnation can take one's life.
Yes, you will still face persecution. You will still face tribulation. But it is above that. When you look at life now in the truth of the revelation of the word of God, you are more than what people say. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.
You are more than what people say about you. You are more than what people see in you. You are more than what people think about you. You are more than what people plot against you. So no matter what anyone wants to picture you as, God knows the best how He wants to use those circumstances to beautify your life.
When you have that clear direction—that revelation of truth—you know that in this circumstance, I will see the goodness of God. I will shout and praise my God. No matter what comes my way, I am victorious in Christ. You understand that the Jesus that is in you cannot make you a failure. So no matter what wants to picture you as a failure, do not accept it. You are a child of a winner, so winner you shall be.
Psalm 15:1-3 asks the question: "Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour."
If you call yourself a child of God, carry this element of truth. You can hide things from men, but you cannot hide them from God. When you become an expert at hiding from men, you become a victim of Satan. Do not introduce to others anything that you know will not produce truth in your life.
Let your life become the life of truth. Let that be a clear direction to you—a clear revelation. Do not be two-faced. That is why Jesus gave us the truth: His own life. The day you confess Him as your Lord and Savior, discipline yourself to live holy. That is clear direction. It is not just a vision of how to become rich; it is a vision of how to live holy—how to live righteous.
Romans 8:2 says: "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."
There is a law of the Spirit of life that supersedes every other law in this world. That is the Holy Ghost. That is what taught us and freed us from sin. That is what makes us holy before God, and that is what makes us able to repent of our errors.
That is why we need to walk in the life of the Holy Ghost. When the Holy Spirit comes unto you, He will teach you. He will instruct you. He will guide you in the way to go.
I want to ask you: Have you received the Holy Ghost? We may have received Christ, but we might not have received the Holy Ghost. That is the guard in this hour—the Spirit of the Lord in Christ, the Holy Ghost.
Humble yourself and ask for Him. Ask for that Spirit that is what God said. As a father would not give a serpent to his son who asks for bread, so your Father in heaven will not reject you. If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the gift of the Holy Ghost to them that ask Him?
That is the Spirit that washes away your iniquity. That is the Spirit that makes you a genuine born again. That is the Spirit that says to you: "This is the right way; walk in it." I want you to welcome the Holy Ghost into your life.
