“Give ear, and hear my voice; give attention, and hear my speech. Does he who plows for sowing plow continually? Does he continually open and harrow his ground? When he has leveled its surface, does he not scatter dill, sow cumin, and put in wheat in rows and barley in its proper place, and emmer as the border? For he is rightly instructed; his God teaches him. Dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge, nor is a cart wheel rolled over cumin, but dill is beaten out with a stick, and cumin with a rod. Does one crush grain for bread? No, he does not thresh it forever; when he drives his cart wheel over it with his horses, he does not crush it. This also comes from the Lord of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.” Isaiah 28:23-29 ESV

Truly, I am in awe when I read this passage. Do we really grasp the truth of who God is as our teacher, instructor, guide? He knows all things. All things! He wants to teach us what we need to know about life in general, and about the specifics of our own personal lives. Think about what we just read. Isaiah is describing what it was like for the original farmers. Consider this for a moment. They did not have people who came before them who left instruction manuals on how to plant, sow, and harvest all of the different types of crops. No parent or grandparent to teach them the ways of the field. What did they have? They had God. The wonderful counselor, excellent in wisdom. The one who designed everything and has all the answers we need about everything. This just really amazes me to think on. Such a beautiful picture to me. God Himself divinely teaching the farmer how to manage his field and crops. The results? Perfection.

Yes, it’s helpful to learn from others who have come before us. This is so important! The problem arises when we get all of our guidance and education from people and neglect seeking God. Sadly it is very easy to make this terrible mistake. And what does this leave us with? Far less than what God would have planned for us. I think of my own practice as a therapist. Yes, I went to school and learned from others. I have received additional training and certifications from others. But the truth? The most beautiful and healing experiences my clients have had in my office have come from direct revelations and guidance from the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God Himself. My willingness to listen and obey have resulted in miracles. Miracles that NEVER would have happened apart from Gods direct guidance and supernatural power. For many years of my practice this wasn’t so. I had forgotten to allow God to teach me and lead and instead relied on my education. I’m saddened when I reflect on those early years, but so thankful God reminded me that He is ultimately the great counselor. I know I better listen to Him so my clients can get the full healing they need. He has never failed me.

There is not a single aspect of our lives that God does not want to be involved in. He wants to teach us and train us in ALL areas of life. Our work, our businesses, our marriages, our children, our friendships, our ministries, our health, our hobbies, and the list goes on. When is the last time you asked God for His instruction in these areas of your life? It’s so easy to forget, or maybe you’ve never done this. Start today! The more you seek Him, the more He teaches you and guides you, the easier it is to make this a daily practice. It just becomes a natural part of your life. That farmer understood this, his entire life and the welfare of his family was dependent on seeking God and learning from Him. If we do the same our lives will thrive in ways we never imagined. And I’m not referring to our finances only (which God wants to be involved in as well) but every area of life. This is where true purpose begins. 

Let’s read a few more passages of God’s Word that further prove this truth. 

He leads the humble in what is right and teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies. Psalm 25: 9-10

All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children. Isaiah 54:13

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea; Isaiah 48:17-18

Trust in The Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

Reading these truths in God’s Word gets me so excited! When we take God at His Word, truly believe what He has said, and act on it, amazing things happen. Acting on this truth is simple. Make it a priority to pray and seek God regarding the details of your life. Then wait for His wise instruction. I want to clarify, let’s be careful not to make this legalistic. Unless you truly feel led, I’m not talking about asking God what to wear, which way to drive to work, what to cook for dinner, etc., and then doing nothing until you feel His guidance. I’m talking about things of importance in your life. Allow Him to teach you and guide you in these areas and it will change your life.

I recently read about this very truth in the book, The Awe of God, by John Bevere. He spoke of a wealthy businessman who initially struggled to succeed in his endeavors. John wrote, “A few years back I met with a multibillionaire. He shared of his floundering work in the marketplace early in his career. He had read all the bestsellers regarding building a successful business and implemented the wisdom he gleaned. Yet he still struggled. One day while sitting in church listening to his pastor bring a message, the thought came to him, he is called to preach the gospel and depends on the Holy Spirit to accomplish his life mission. I’m called to the marketplace, so why don’t I depend on The Holy Spirit to do what I’m called to? He determined to get up each morning and ask the Lord’s direction for the day. He kept a notepad and wrote down everything he was impressed to do. He also made it a point to keep one ear always listening to the Holy Spirit’s impressions throughout the day, even in his business meetings.” Bevere goes on to share that it was ultimately obeying the specific instructions from the Holy Spirit in business decisions that led to this man’s crazy success. God wants to do the same in ALL areas of our life. For some, not all, this will result in insane financial success. For others it will result in different things. Like my success in the counseling office. ALL credit to God and His instruction. When God teaches you, there is no question as to where the increase came from, diminishing the risk of pride and arrogance. 

Over the years my children have struggled with various things. When we’ve tried to figure it all out on our own we’ve ended up exhausted. When my husband and I seek God for clarity, wisdom, and guidance, He lovingly reveals what we need to know and what we need to do, resulting in positive change. The same has been true in our marriage. There are times I know my husband is discouraged and I want to pray for him. Instead of making up my own prayer, I ask God, “how should I pray for him?” Almost immediately I know exactly how to pray, and guess what? It’s typically not the way I would have prayed on my own. Many times I have asked God the same question in session while praying for a client. Suddenly I start praying and guess what? They are blown away at the fact that I prayed exactly what they needed without them even having to tell me! I let them know it was God who revealed it because of how much He loves them. They leave feeling seen and loved by God, and it has nothing to do with me. God really is amazing! 

In closing, God is the creator of all things. He has perfect wisdom and knowledge of all things. He has infinite power. For those of us who believe and have received Jesus Christ, He is our father in heaven who loves to teach and guide us. Let’s start making it our daily practice to let Him. I promise, it will change your life!