Recently on our trip to Florida Lorrie and decided to do one "tourist-y" thing, so we visited Thomas Edison's summer home in Fort Meyers. This is a beautiful property with many buildings, gardens, and workshops. There are two ways you can take it all in - either you go with a guide, or you can go on a "self-guided" tour. Being the total A.D.D. person that I am, I of course opted for the "self-guided" tour. There are some distinct disadvantages to this method. A guided tour is very orderly. A self-guided tour is haphazard. With a guide you move in a logical progression. The self-guided tour tends to be disorganized and out of sequence. With a guide, you get the benefit of hearing from someone who really knows about the subject and can answer all the questions. You can't ask any questions on a self-guided tour.

In Psalm 25:4-5 we are introduced to our divine Guide by David, the author of the Psalm. If you're really smart you'll immediately notice the parallelism in verse 4. The inquisitive mind will then move to the content of the verse and ask, what ways? What paths? It's a logical question. It would be logical for our human minds to think of these "ways" and "paths" as if we we're following a set of google map directions. . . turn right, go 5.2 miles, turn left, go 2.4 miles. . . Too often, in the Christian life, we think that God has one prescribed route designed specifically for our lives and if we dare to deviate from that path we will be forever lost in the land of Oz. We are not catching the gist of these verses if we think that way. The "path" and the "ways" have less to do with the grand scheme of your life than the moment by moment, incremental habits and
practices that become the defining characteristics of your life. What are Gods "ways"? They would be compared to our "habits". God is always loving. God is faithful. Compassionate. Just. Righteous. Longsuffering. The list goes on and on. If we want to know God's "ways" and "paths" we simply need to take a long, hard look at the way God operates.

Now we on our own do not have the capacity to come to understand God's "ways" and "paths". We need him to guide us, teach us, demonstrate to us, provide an example for us, etc. Who could claim to know the mind of God? Only those who have asked God to reveal Himself. And how has God revealed himself? In a variety of ways. First, he has revealed himself in his Word. He's revealed himself through his creation. He's revealed himself through his Son. He's revealed himself through the Holy Spirit.

Have you asked God today to guide you? He will. . . but you also need to open your eyes to the methods He uses to guide you. Read and follow His Word. Study the Son. Listen to the Holy Spirit. God's method of guidance is never haphazard, never vague, never confusing. He will guide you - if you are willing to be led . . .

Psalm 25:4-5