A Sunday School teacher was in my office a few years ago. He shared the plight of a couple in his class who were wrestling with a decision. They were wondering if they should pursue children and career here in Memphis, TN or if they should move closer to their families of origin. They were agonizing over the decision, trying to discern God’s will. They wanted to know “What direction is God pointing?”
A friend of mine named Josh was a preaching apprentice at the church where I preach. After three years with us, he and his wife faced decisions about their future. Would they plant a church? Would they work with an established church? Many of his final days in Memphis were spent trying to discern God’s will. He wanted to know “What direction is God pointing?”
Many of you probably find yourselves in a similar situation. Should we adopt a child? Should I marry this person? Should I take this job? Should I apply to this school? Should I retire? Should I move closer to the grandchildren? We are constantly asking, “What direction is God pointing? What is God’s will?”
It would be nice for God to just give us a compass which shows us the way through these decisions.
Never was the need for such a compass greater than in the Wilderness period recorded in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. In Exodus 12-13, God delivered the Israelite slaves from Egypt. But now what? There was an Egyptian army behind them. There was the Red Sea in front of them. There were miles of Wilderness beyond that. And somehow they were supposed find their way to the Promised Land. But they had no map. They had no Google satellite images. Should they go north, south, east, or west? Should they cross that sand dune or this one? Should they camp here or there? They needed guidance. And God provided that guidance.
Listen to three descriptions taken from Exodus and Numbers: “20 After leaving Sukkoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. 21 By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.” (TNIV Ex. 13:20-22)
“34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 36 In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; 37 but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out-until the day it lifted. 38 So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels.” (TNIV Ex. 40:34-38)
“15 On the day the tabernacle, the tent of the covenant law, was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire. 16 That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire. 17 Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. 18 At the LORD’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. 19 When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the LORD’s order and did not set out. 20 Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the LORD’s command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. 21 Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. 22 Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. 23 At the LORD’s command they encamped, and at the LORD’s command they set out. They obeyed the LORD’s order, in accordance with his command through Moses.” (TNIV Num. 9:15-23)
Their compass was a cloud. If it moved, they moved. If it stopped, they stopped. When it turned north, they turned north. Oh, what a blessing to have such a cloud today! Oh, for a guiding cloud to settle over the city in which we should live, the job we should take, the person we should date, the school we should attend, or the medical procedure we should undergo!
But as you and I know, such direct guidance is rare. Few of us have seen a literal guiding cloud from God. Few of us hear God speak to us in an audible voice. Few of us receive a note in the mail from God telling us exactly what decision to make. S
o, where does that leave us? Is there a compass we can use to find God’s will? Are there any “guiding clouds” to rely on when we are making decisions? These are questions that Christians have asked and answered for centuries. Many of their answers can be summarized in six ways. Each answer acts as a compass, pointing us to God’s will. None are sufficient alone. But, perhaps together, they can help us understand more of God’s will. These six ideas are drawn from several sources. The way I have packaged and illustrated them, however, is mine.
First, when trying to make a decision, consider the “guiding cloud” of Commands. The Commands of God, or Scripture, are the most fundamental way to discern God’s will. When faced with decisions, this “guiding cloud” asks “What are the Commands of God pointing toward?”
At a general level, God’s Commands guide us so that we don’t choose paths that are unholy and unloving. For instance, at the end of his life, just before Israel entered the Promised Land, Moses urged Israel to use God’s Commands as their general guide for how to live and make good choices in the Promised Land: “For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.” (TNIV Deut. 30:16) Scripture can be a source of general guidance in decision making.
It can also be a source of specific guidance. For instance, in the late 1980’s, leaders at the Highland Street Church of Christ began to study God’s Commands about the poor. Up to that point, Highland was not very involved with the poor. But through a series of studies, church leaders began to realize how important the poor were. They began to sense God calling Highland to a new direction-one that prioritized the poor. That led to the founding of Memphis Urban Ministry and the planting of urban churches. It was as they studied God’s Commands that God’s guidance for a new church direction became clear. The “guiding cloud” of Commands can be an immense resource in times of decision.
Second, consider the “guiding cloud” of Community. When faced with a decision, this guiding cloud might ask “What are other godly people counseling me to do?” One way we receive God’s guidance is through the counsel of godly people in the community of faith.
Moses experienced this at a critical juncture in the wilderness. In Exodus 18, camped near Mount Sinai, Moses is fatigued. From morning until evening, thousands of people come to him for advice. And it’s wearing him out. But Moses doesn’t know any other way to operate. Then, Moses’ father-in-law Jethro visits. During the visit, Jethro advises Moses: “Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. But select capable men from all the people-men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain-and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.” (TNIV Ex. 18:19-23) Through Jethro, Moses discovers God’s way through the dilemma. He restructures according to Jethro’s counsel, and things go much better.
In 1992, as I was nearing the end of my education at Harding University Graduate School of Religion, I was trying to decide between a future in preaching or campus ministry. I had begun to sense God calling me to preach, but I wasn’t really certain that was the direction I should go. Struggling with that decision, I met with a friend named Allen in his office one day. During that conversation, it became clear to me what God wanted. Largely due to what Allen said, I am a preacher today. Community, the wise counsel of godly people, can be a powerful “guiding cloud.”
Third, consider the “guiding cloud” of Conviction. When faced with decisions, this guiding cloud asks “Which option excites or convicts me deeply?” When faced with a number of paths, the path we feel most excited about or convicted about may be the path God desires.
In Exodus 3-4 God calls Moses down a certain path: free Israel from slavery. Moses offers all kinds of excuses about why he won’t accept that call. But finally, Moses obeys. What led Moses to choose that path? It was likely many things. But I wonder if Moses’ convictions played a part. Earlier, in Exodus 2:11-12, we read this about Moses: “One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.” (TNIV Ex. 2:11-12) Moses was passionate about the suffering of his people. He was so passionate that he murdered in order to stop the suffering. It is surely no coincidence that Moses wound up choosing a life-path consistent with that passion.
In 1988, I was a sophomore at New Mexico State University. I had dabbled in four majors: electrical engineering, education, counseling, and sports medicine. It was now time to make a decision. What major and career was I going to pursue? At the same time, I was involved as a volunteer at a local church. And at the end of that sophomore year, as I spent a month in intensive prayer about my future, I realized one thing-the only option I was passionate about was one that involved the work I was doing at that local church. I was not excited when I thought of a future in electrical engineering or sports medicine. But I got very excited when I thought about a future in ministry. That passion helped me conclude that God was calling me to choose full-time ministry. Clearly, passion and conviction are not an end-all. We may be passionate about things that are not God’s will. And we may dread things that are God’s will. Still, passion and conviction may be tools God uses to reveal his will.
Fourth, consider the “guiding cloud” of Capabilities. This guiding cloud asks “Which option is most consistent with my capabilities?” I’m using capabilities to represent spiritual gifts, natural talents, and other resources. Generally, God seems to call us down the path that is most consistent with our spiritual gifts, natural talents, or other resources.
In Exodus 3-4, Moses is trying to decide whether or not to pursue the path of freeing Israel from Egypt. Part of his hesitation is his belief that he has none of the capabilities needed. Thus, God grants them. In Exodus 4:1-9, God gives him a staff which turns into a snake and the ability to turn water to blood. In 4:10-17, God gives Moses his brother, Aaron, as a spokesman. All of these were resources Moses could use to accomplish this task. God called Moses to a path that he also fully equipped him for.
I mentioned above the decision I was facing at the end of 1992 concerning whether or not I would pursue campus ministry or preaching. Not only did the counsel of Allen help me discern God’s will, reflection on my capabilities also helped me to see the path more clearly. I began to realize that I did not have the spiritual gifts or abilities to be a campus minister. I found it awkward leading Bible studies in dorm rooms. I didn’t enjoy coordinating mission trips. I wanted to retreat to my office to study and pray instead of hang out with students. I realized that the path of preaching was more consistent with my capabilities.
Fifth, consider the “guiding cloud” of Circumstances. This guiding cloud asks “What open door or major need is now before me?” When trying to determine a course in life, an unexpected open door or a need in the community may represent a path down which God is calling you.
In Exodus 3, an open door and a major need are presented in such a way that Moses can hardly avoid the path that leads to them. From within a burning bush, God tells Moses: “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.” (TNIV Ex. 3:7-8) Faced with such an open door and such a massive need, Moses would eventually discern that God was indeed calling him to free Israel.
In the early 1990’s, circumstances at the University of Memphis created a scenario where hundreds of Asians were moving to Memphis for school. Many of them began making their way to our campus ministry at the Christian Student Center and to the church where I preach. A ministry to Asians was nowhere on any church leader’s five-year-plan at that time, but a handful of staff and some volunteers began to open their eyes to these new Circumstances, to this unexpected open door. They discerned that God was calling Highland in a new direction. Thus, our Chinese ministry was launched. Sometimes the circumstances of our lives and our community suggest certain directions.
Finally, consider the “guiding cloud” of Chronicle. I’m talking about the Chronicle of God’s work in your past. This guiding cloud asks, “Which option seems most consistent with the way in which God has worked in my past? What have I done successfully in the past? What has God seemed to bless in my past?” Those answers may suggest a direction for the future.
When God calls Moses, he reveals that this new path is in harmony with God’s work in the past. He introduces himself to Moses in this way: “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” (TNIV Ex. 3:6) The path of rescuing these slaves, to which God was calling Moses, was rooted in the Chronicle of God’s past work with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It would be the fulfillment of the promise God made to them to raise up a nation and lead them to a new land. Perhaps God was urging Moses to remember this past promise as Moses weighed whether or not to accept this call to free Israel.
Several years ago the leadership at the church where I preach was striving to discern God’s will about the church’s future. “What specific directions should we focus on during the next five years?” To help us, we asked a man named Thom Rainer to conduct a study of God’s work at Highland in the past and present. After doing so, Thom said he clearly saw two things that God had done fruitfully in our past-minister to the poor and to young people. Those two ministries, he said, were themes in the Chronicle of Highland’s past. Thus, Thom suggested we chart a course for the future that included those two areas-what we now call the Needy and the Next Generation. The path to the future was discerned by looking at what God had blessed in the past.
You may be facing an important decision right now. Let me urge you to consider how these guiding clouds may lead you to find God’s will in that decision:
the “guiding cloud” of Commands–“What are the Commands of God pointing toward?”
the “guiding cloud” of Community–“What are other godly people counseling me to do?”
the “guiding cloud” of Conviction–“Which option excites or convicts me deeply?”
the “guiding cloud” of Capabilities–“Which option is most consistent with my capabilities?”
the “guiding cloud” of Circumstances–“What open door or major need is now before me?”
the “guiding cloud” of Chronicle–“Which option seems most consistent with the way in which God has worked in my past?
