THE LORD WILL GUIDE US AND SATISFY OUR NEEDS

THE LORD WILL GUIDE US AND SATISFY OUR NEEDS

PROCLAMATION

“The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.  You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”  Isaiah 58:11 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the people of Israel through the prophet Isaiah.  Here He presents the things which they are doing wrong with respect to fasting, praise, and worship. (Isaiah 58:3-7)  Then He presents the good that would happen to them if they would do the right thing.  This is followed by a series of “if … then …” statements which present some conditional blessings which they could receive. (Isaiah 58:8-14)

APPLICATION

Our fasting, praying, and worship does not mean much when afterwards we go about doing the same sinful things, or when we fight with our brothers and sisters afterwards. (Isaiah 58:3-4)  It is as if we do not take our time with Him seriously.  It is not possible for us to leave a serious encounter with The Lord God and be exactly the same as we were before the encounter.  Time spent with Him changes us (Ezekiel 11:19 and 36:26) and we are transformed into new creatures. (2 Corinthians 5:17)  We do not become perfect, but we become less sinful.  If we follow in the direction that He leads us, then we will stay on the straight and narrow path. (Matthew 7:13-14)  He will protect us, provide for us, and strengthen us along our Christian journey.  The Good Lord wants to bless us, but He also wants us to do the right things.  If we would heed His counsel and obey His word, our lives would be much better.

THE LORD GOD WILL COMFORT US

PROCLAMATION

“I have seen their ways, but I will heal them; I will guide them and restore comfort to Israel’s mourners, creating praise on their lips.  Peace, peace, to those far and near, says The Lord.  And I will heal them.”  Isaiah 57:18-19 (NIV)

EXPLANATION
These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the people of Israel through the prophet Isaiah.  Chapter fifty-seven of The Bible Book of Isaiah begins by stating that the righteous die in order to be spared from evil, and so that they may find rest and God’s peace. (Isaiah 57:1-2)  Then He presents the abominable idolatries which were committed by the children of Israel. (Israel 57:3-13)  Afterwards He states that He punished them because of their behavior but that He would revive them, restore them, and comfort the mourners among them.

APPLICATION

The Lord God knows our sins and He has seen the suffering which we brought upon ourselves.  He said that He would heal us and our land if we would seek Him and turn from our wicked ways. (2 Chronicles 7:14)  He also said that He would guide us and comfort those of us who are mourners. (Isaiah 57:18)  We need to understand that death is a part of life and that people die for a reason. (Isaiah 57:1-2)  None of us came here to stay here forever.  When believers die, they transition from earthly labor to a heavenly reward. (1 Corinthians 3:8)  If they are absent from the body that means that they are present with The Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:6-8)  We may miss them and wish that they were still here with us, but that is us just being selfish because I am sure that no one wants to leave the presence of God and return to the suffering on earth.  We need to make sure that we will join them and be with Christ when our time comes.  That can only happen if we believe. (John 3:16, Acts 16:31, and Romans 10:9)

MY HELP COMES FROM THE LORD GOD

Proclamation:

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains; where does my help come from?  My help comes from The Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”  Psalm 121:1-2 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Bible scholars do not agree on the human author.  This is a psalm of ascent, one of the songs which the children of Israel sang as they came out of captivity in Babylon and later by pilgrims as they travelled up to Jerusalem to worship.  As they looked up, they could see the hills of Jerusalem in the distance.  The psalmist asks a rhetorical question, and then proceeds to answer it.  He asks, where his help comes from, but he knows that his help comes from The Lord God.  He knows that The Lord guides his steps and watches over him while he sleeps. (Psalm 121:3-4)  He will not let any harm come to him. (Psalm 121:5-7)  He watches over him whether he is coming or going. (Psalm 121:8)

Application:

All believers know that their help does not come from the top of the hills but from The Lord God who made the hills.  The Lord God guides, preserves, and protects us day and night. (Psalm 121:3-4)  He watches over us as we go in and out of our homes, and while we are in our homes. (Psalm 121:8)  He keeps a hedge of protection around us all day, and every day. (Job 1:10)  For this, we ought to be truly grateful and we ought to thank Him for it along with thanking Him for all of the blessings that He has bestowed upon us.

LET YOUR LIGHT AND YOUR TRUTH LEAD AND DIRECT US

Proclamation:

“Send me Your light and Your faithful care, let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy mountain, to the place where You dwell.  Then I will go to The Alter of God, to God, my joy and my delight.  I will praise You with the lyre, O God, my God.”  Psalm 43:3-4 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm was written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by an unknown human author (probably King David) and is believed to be a continuation of Psalm 42, which was written for the sons of Korah to sing.  The psalmist began with a prayer for The Lord God to vindicate him and he wanted Him to plead his case to an ungodly nation. (Psalm 43:1) He also wanted The Lord God to rescue him from an unjust man.  It is not clear whether the man that he wanted to be delivered from was his son Absalom, his friend Ahithophel, or King Saul.  Regardless of who he is referring to, he wants The Lord God to rescue him. (Psalm 43:1)  He needs guidance, protection, and direction, and he wants The Lord God to give it to him.  He wants to be in the presence of The Lord God and to be with Him where He lives. (Psalm 43:3)  Then he will go to The Alter and there he will publicly praise and worship The Lord with singing and playing the harp. (Psalm 43:4)  He ends this psalm with the same rhetorical question that he asks in Psalm 42, why is his soul depressed, then states that he will put his trust in The Lord and praise Him. (Psalm 42:11 and 43:5)

Application:

Regardless of what it is that we are going through, The Lord God, The Light of the world, can protect us, guide and direct us.  We just need to sincerely seek Him.  We need to be in His presence.  His divine guidance will lead us to the house of God and to publicly praise and worship Him along with the other saints for He is worthy. Prayer and praise is always appropriate whatever our situation.  In God we will always trust.

FORGIVE US TEACH US GUIDE US LEAD US AND PRESERVE US

Proclamation:

“Show me Your ways, Lord, teach me Your paths.  Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.  Remember, Lord, Your great mercy and love, for they are far from old.  Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to Your love remember me, for You, Lord, are good.”  Psalms 25:4-7 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  He begins this psalm by expressing his trust in The Lord. (Psalm 25:1)  However, in this psalm David admits that he is in trouble, distressed, and he is suffering. (Psalm 25:15-18)  He knows that he has many enemies who hate him. (Psalm 25:19)   He also knows that he has committed many sins and transgressions but he is asking The Lord God to forgive all of his sins (Psalm 25:11 and 18) and to have mercy on him and help him.  He prays that God will help him to not be ashamed of Him, will show him His ways, will teach him His paths, and will lead him in His truth. (Psalm 25:2-5)  David ends this psalm by praying for a series of ten personal blessings and then he prays for all of the people in the nation. (Psalm 25:16-22)

Application:

All of us have committed sins that we want The Lord God to forgive us for, and not all of them were done in the days of our youth.  Unfortunately, we cannot “get right” without God’s help.  We need for Him to show us and teach us and lead us in the right way.  We must put out trust in The Lord.  We also, like David, have some troubles that we need God to deliver us from and to keep us from. (Psalm 25:20-22)  Let us pray that The Lord God will have mercy on us and forgive, teach, guide, lead, and preserve us as we continue our Christian journey on earth for we need His help and we cannot make it without Him.

THE LORD GOD IS MY SHEPHERD PROVIDER AND PROTECTOR

Proclamation:

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me besides quiet waters, He refreshes my soul.  He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake.”  Psalm 23:1-3 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm was written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  During one of his distressing circumstances, David comforts himself by remembering that The Lord God is his shepherd.  God has provided for him, and lead and guided him.  He has no need to be afraid, regardless of his situation, because God is with him. (Psalm 23:4)  Even under the gravest of circumstances, The Lord God protects him, provides for him and blesses him abundantly. (Psalm 23:5)  He knows that he has God’s favor, God’s love, and God’s mercy, which he will continue to enjoy for the rest of his life.  He also knows that when his life on earth is over, he will spend eternity with The Lord God. (Psalm 23:6)

Application:

Like David, we are sheep and The Lord God is our shepherd.  He provides all that we need.  In Him we can enjoy peaceful rest and sleep.  He leads us to places which He has carved out where the water is calm because He knows that sheep are fearful creatures who will not drink from running waters.  After we wander away from His word and His way, He forgives us and restores our soul to His good graces.  If we would follow Him, He will lead, guide, and direct us along the right paths of life.  He protects us from all hurt, harm, and danger, during the storms of life and blesses us with much more than we deserve. (Psalm 23:4-5)  We should rejoice and praise His name for all that He has done, is doing, and will do for us.

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

Proclamation:

"The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.  He makes me to lie down in green pastures, He leads me besides quiet waters, and He refreshes my soul.  He guides me along the right paths for His name's sake. ... Goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of The Lord forever." Psalms 23:1-3 and 6

Explanation:

This Psalm is a prayer of King David, a man after God’s own heart.  It reveals the intimate and personal relationship that David has with God.  He is confident of God’s care.  He states that God will supply all of his needs and he will not go lacking.  God will provide his food and shelter and will direct his path.  God’s love will take care of him all of his life and he expects to be with God for all of eternity.

Application:

Sheep would be lost without a shepherd.  The shepherd provides for their total care.  He leads them to peaceful places to sleep, to eat, and to drink.  Not only do sheep need to be lead to places to eat, they need to be moved from time to time so they do not destroy their feeding grounds.  Sheep will not drink from running water, they will only drink from a still pool.  Sheep need to be protected, they cannot protect themselves and are easily slaughtered. (Isaiah 53:7)  Like sheep we are just dumb animals who cannot protect ourselves from the wiles of the devil. (Ephesians 6:11)  Like dumb animals all of us follow someone.   The question is, who are you following and where are you being led to?  Jesus said that His sheep know His voice and will not follow anyone else. (John 10:27)  If you are not following Jesus then who are you following and where are you going?  The love of God, His goodness and mercy will protect those who follow Him all of the days in this life and in the eternity to come.

The Steps Of A Good Man

"If The LORD delights in a man's way, He makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for The LORD upholds him with His hand."  Psalms 37:23-24 (NIV)  The King James version reads: "The steps of a good man are ordered by The LORD: and he delighteth in His way.  Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for The LORD upholdeth him with His hand." 

These are the words of King David explaining that the path and steps of the believer are determined by The Lord.  Although the believer may stumble and fall into sin, The Lord will not desert him, but He will help him to get back up and to continue on the right path.

As believers, our human attempts to follow The Word of God will fall short, and we will fall into sin. (Romans 3:23)  For none of us is truly righteous, and we are all far from perfect. (Romans 3:10)  However, if we confess our sins, and ask to be forgiven, He will forgive us. (1 John 1:9)   If we want Him to lead us, to guide us, to direct us, and to order our steps, then we must ask Him to do it.  If we pray and ask The Lord to guide us and to show us the right way and the right path, He will do so. (Psalms 32:8)  Our prayer should be like the words of the song, "Order my steps in Your Word, dear Lord; Lead me, guide me, everyday... Please order my steps in Your Word ... I want to walk worthy, my calling to fulfill;  Please order my steps, Lord, and I'll do Your blessed will ... Please order my steps in Your Word."  

In All Your Ways Acknowledge God

"Trust in The LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."  Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

These are the words of the wisest man ever, King Solomon, the son of King David.  His advice to the people was that they should trust in The Lord and follow His ways, and not try to figure things out for themselves.  He told them to give The Lord credit for all that He had done in their lives, and He would guide and direct them.

Solomon's advice would be just as applicable to us today and it was to the people then.  The Lord God knows all about everything. (1 John 3:20)  We would be much better off trusting in Him who knows all, rather than relying on our own limited knowledge and poor understanding.  He said that if we acknowledge The Lord and give Him credit for all that He has done for us, then He would direct our paths.  He said in all our ways we should acknowledge Him.  Most believers give thanks to The Lord for some things, but we should thank Him for everything, great and small.  We should see the hand of God in everything in our lives, in our reasonable portion of health and strength, in the closed doors and open doors of opportunity (Revelation 3:8), and in the trials and tribulations which strengthen us. (Romans 5:3-4)  In all of the things in our lives we should acknowledge The Lord, and He will direct our paths.

Trust In The Lord And Acknowledge Him

"Trust in The LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths."  Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

This is the advice of King Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived, trust in The Lord, and trust in Him completely.  He spoke these words to the young and to the old people of his day telling them not to trust in their own limited knowledge.  They were to give The Lord God the credit for all that they accomplish, and He would give them guidance and direction as they journeyed through life.

The Lord God is all powerful (omnipotent) (Matthew 28:18 and Colossians 2:10);  all knowing  (omniscient) (1 John 3:20);  and everywhere all at the same time (omni-present) (Psalms 139:7-10).  There is no good reason to put our trust in anyone who has less to offer us, including putting our trust in ourselves.  We should trust in The Lord, and not just half-heartedly but with conviction.  Our knowledge, wisdom, and understanding is so limited, and we know nothing about what the future holds.  We should put God first, and include Him in everything.   Whatever we propose, plan, and prepare; or we begin, continue, and end; or we think, speak, and do, we should include God.  We should acknowledge that God makes it all possible, and that we rely on Him and depend on Him.  All of our decisions, directions, and dialogues should only be undertaken after much prayer. 

Only God Knows The Path We Will Take

"A man's steps are directed by The LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way?"  Proverbs 20:24 (NIV)

The wise man, King Solomon, said that a man's path is directed by The Lord.  Then he asked the question, how can anyone really know where they are going?

According to John MacArthur, since we cannot comprehend the purposes of God in our life, we must walk by faith.  God is divinely sovereign and is in control of everything, He even controls the heart and the mind of the unbelievers, (Exodus 9:12, 10:1, 10:20, 10:27, 11:10, and Romans 1:28) as well as believers (Psalms 31:23)  We will all be used for God's purpose, one way or another.  We may be a blessing, or part of a test for someone.  We do not know what the future holds for us, and we do not know what our next step will be.  We have the freedom of choice, and frequently we choose to do wrong. (Joshua 24:15)  We need to be taught to choose rightly, and we need God's help to teach us to choose correctly the right way. (Psalms 25:9 & 12, and Matthew 7:13-14)  Since we do not know the future, we should commit our way to God's way, submit to Him, and follow His guidance. (Proverbs 1:1-7) 

Trust In The Lord

"Trust in The LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."  Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

King Solomon, the wisest man ever, said that we should not trust in our own limited understanding of things.  We should trust in The Lord, give Him credit for who He is and for what He has done.  If we do that, then He will direct our paths.

We need to rely on, and depend on God instead of on our instincts, our senses, our limited knowledge, or on ourselves.  We are so prone to errors, mistakes, poor decisions, bad judgement, and to sin that we should never trust ourselves.  We need to have an intimate and personal relationship with The Lord.  We need to recognize that His hand is involved in all that is going on around us and with us.  We need to have a total reliance upon Him, total confidence in His care, and total commitment to His Word.  We need to let Him direct the course of our life.  We need to understand and be secure in the fact that His way, really is the only right way.  We need to begin, continue, and end every effort, purpose, and plan in our life with God.

Pray For God's Instruction Guidance And Direction

"Let me understand the teaching of Your precepts; then I will meditate on Your wonders.  My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to Your word.  Keep me from deceitful ways; be gracious to me through Your law.  I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on Your laws ... do not let me be put to shame ... Teach me, O LORD, to follow Your decrees; then I will keep them to the end.  Give me understanding, and I will keep Your law and obey it with all my heart.  Direct me in the path of Your commands, for there I find delight.  Turn my heart toward Your statutes and not toward selfish gain.  Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to Your word."  Psalms 119:27-37 (NIV)

Psalms 119 is the longest of the psalms, in fact, it is the longest chapter in the Bible having 176 verses.  This psalm is thought to be a collection of King David's brief utterances to God.  Here he is praying for instruction and understanding, and for guidance and direction.  He also asks God to keep his eyes and his heart from evil, sinful, deceitful things.

We would do good to ask God for the same things.  We have chosen to follow The Lord, but we need His help in order to do so.  We need to read and study The Word of God more, but we need Him to increase our knowledge and understanding.  As we walk this Christian walk, we need His help, guidance, and direction in order to steer clear of sinful things.  Maybe we should pray this prayer.

One Of David's Prayers That We Should Recite

"Show me Your ways, O LORD, teach me Your paths;  guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.  Remember, O LORD, Your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to Your love remember me, for You are good, O LORD."  Psalms 25:4-7 (NIV)

King David was a sinner, and he knew that he was a sinner.  However, he confessed his sins, he asked for forgiveness and mercy, and he asked for God's help and guidance to do better.

David prayed, and he prayed often.  We could learn a lot from David.  We should learn some of his prayers, and commit them to memory so that we could recite them as easily as we do The Model Prayer which Jesus taught His disciples.  This is one such prayer.  It acknowledges our sins, it asks for mercy and forgiveness; and it asks for God to show us His ways, to teach us, and to guide us.  Without Him, we would be lost.  So, pray, and pray often.  Let us remember to thank God for what He has done and is doing, and for what He will do.  Let us ask Him to help us to sin less, to follow His Way, to read His Word, and to be more Christ-like in the future.  Not just during this holy day season, but to be more Christ-like throughout this upcoming year and for the rest of our lives.

Lead Us Along The Straight And Narrow Way

"Teach me Your way, O LORD; lead me in a straight path ..."  Psalms 27:11 (NIV)

This psalm is one of David's many conversations with The Lord.  David literally asks God to help him,  to show him the way that he should go and tell him what he should do.

There is only one right way and that is God's way, and that way must be shown to us.  We would not find or follow the narrow path by ourselves. (Matthew 7:14)   In our walk of life, we want our direction and each step that we take to be ordered by God. (Psalms 37:23)  That is not likely to happen unless we ask God to teach us His way and to lead us along the straight and narrow path.  This is the less travelled way because very few people find it.

Create In Me A Pure Heart

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me ... O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise." Psalms 51:10 & 15

Psalms 51 is a prayer that David uttered after he has done wrong, knows that he has done wrong and sinned against God (verses 3 & 4), and he is now asking for mercy and forgiveness, and for God's help to do better in the future.

We would all do well to read Psalms 51:1-15 daily, and to pray a similar prayer. All of our sins are sins against God. We need His mercy, and we need for Him to create in us a pure heart and a steadfast spirit. We need for Him to guide and control our tongue so that the words of our mouths will be acceptable in His sight.

Blessings From Fasting And Praying

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke ... Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of The Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and The Lord will answer; you will cry for help ... then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs ... and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." Isaiah 58:6-11 (NIV)


The prophet Isaiah told the people that fasting and praying, when done properly, will lead to blessings from The Lord.

When we fast and pray, we are to humble ourselves, and make a personal dietary sacrifice as we appeal to The Lord for a particular outcome which will glorify God. Our sincere request will be answered and we will be blessed.

Guidance And Direction

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Psalms 119:105 (NIV)

The author of this psalm is unknown, however it is obvious that he was going through a period of distress. He alternates between praising God and asking for His help, guidance, and direction.

Without the light of The Lord, we would be lost in darkness and frequently loose our way. We would also frequently trip over things that we could not see. The Word of God is the light that allows us to see the right direction and it guides us along the way. Without God in our life, we would surely be lost in darkness and headed down the wrong path. We should be thankful that God has brought us out of darkness and into His marvelous light.

Lead Me O Lord In Your Way

"In the morning, O Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation ... Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies, make straight Your way before me ... But let all who take refuge in You be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread Your protection over them, that those who love Your name may rejoice in You. For surely, O Lord, You bless the righteous; You surround them with Your favor as with a shield." Psalm 5:3-12 (NIV)

Here David prays that God will help him and harm his enemies. He not only prays for God's intervention in his life, but he asks for God's guidance and direction. Then he very unselfishly asks that God protect all who love Him.

David was not perfect, like us he committed a number of sins, but he was always straight forward and honest with God. When he messed up, he confessed it, and asked for forgiveness. We should not expect God to overlook our sins and punish others for their sins. We need to pray that God will make His way clear to us, and that He will give us the strength and faith to follow Him.

Be Sincere And Share With The Less Fortunate

"Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter; when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of The Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and The Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: Here am I ... The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs ..." Isaiah 58:7-11 (NIV)

The Prophet Isaiah was to tell the people that God was displeased with their behavior. Their fasting and praying was only half-hearted. They were merely "just going through the motions" and their appearance of righteousness was only a pretense. God wants genuine humility including acting humanely toward those in need.

We need to be sincere, honest, and truthful when we pray and worship. We also need to act more humanely towards our fellow man, especially those in need. We will be blessed if we are a blessing to others who are in need.