God's Love

God's Loving Guidance

Are you and your spouse going through a major change in your marriage, and or family life? Sooner or later, change
will take effect in our lives, its part of the transformation and growth of marriage and family. Some of these
changes may only require a minor adjustment, like moving to a new city, or quitting your job to start your own
business, or sending a child off to college, while others may involve a bigger and more complex set of decisions to
be made.

All transformation, big or small, takes careful consideration and wisdom. If we believe that we have the
understanding and wisdom on our own, and something goes wrong, we will surely be left to deal with the consequences
of that understanding. God wants us to learn from our mistakes. So He probably isn’t going to jump in there and save
the day.

It is difficult, at times, to seek God’s counsel - we are so sure that our way of doing something is the right way,
and the only way, but if we do not deeply pray about it and ask for the wisdom we need, we may regret it at a later
time.

Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will
come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth. (Hosea 6:3 NIV)

Some of our plans will require great patience. This is because Christ wants us to really listen and understand His
teaching for us. So many times we pray about something, ask the Lord for guidance, and then don’t have the patience
to wait for His answer. What’s that all about? Well, we're on the right path, but we’re in too big of a hurry to get
off that path and get back on our own path. We definitely need to stay on that path until God gives us the answers
we need. God will not leave us in limbo, He knows at precisely what day, time, and hour we will need that answer.

The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice. (Proverbs 12:15 NIV)

Many times too, changes in marriage and family may reflect on a family issue or crisis, such as a child involved in
a serious car accident, or a son going off to war, or a spouse very ill in the hospital. It is during these tragic
times in our lives when we absolutely need God’s wisdom-filled guidance for our lives. I encourage spouses to
support one another during a family crisis because it can bring you closer to the Lord and to each other.

Why do we become anxiety ridden and fearful during these times? It is normal to feel anxious and afraid when going
through a dreadful period in our lives, and we all experience grief and sorrow differently, and so God knows what
each of us needs. Never underestimate the power of prayer. A simple sincere thought explaining our pain and
suffering can bring the contentment to our heart and mind that we so very much need. God hears us. He listens to our
prayers and will give us what we need.

The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace. (Psalm 29:11 NIV)

It is through God’s plans for us that we learn to have peace like we have never had before. That is God’s presence,
the Holy Spirit, guiding us through the trials and tribulations that we may experience in our life. We do not have
to be fearful or afraid and alone when we have God’s unfailing love guiding us in the way we should go.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you, says the Lord.
(Psalm 32:8 NIV)