Blueprint for Guidance

I wish the cloud of discouragement would lift. Last night, I went upstairs with a lot of discomfort around 7:00 P.M. my parents thought something was wrong because I never go to bed that early. I really struggle with discouragement and my physical condition especially the past several days. I have tried so many herbs, medication, and supplements with no known progress. At moments like these, I really wonder if God is present in our hardships.
The writer opens the chapter with these words: 
"Does God still guide His people today? Certainly He guided Abraham and Moses and the apostle Paul. But will He guide us? Can we come to the Lord and ask Him to give us the direction we need in the decisions of life? God's Word says we can: "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" (Prov. 3:5-6)." (p. 80).
God will direct our paths. The hardest times to know if God is with us is when the road is full of bumps and huge stones,. The key point as the author states is to not lean on our own understanding. Nowhere is that more clear than in my physical condition. My condition first began as pain in the left knee and then pain in both knees and both ankles. They thought arthritis and that seemed possible given the other symptoms. Now, I have a pinch that comes and goes throughout my body and it is no longer simply a joint problem. Medical professionals are baffled. I don't understand what is going on. We cannot lean on our own understanding. The other key to this text is in all our ways to seek God. Nowhere has this been so real as these three months. My prayer life went from maybe sporadic throughout the day and somewhat lukewarm to now constant and urgent. I know that no one has real power to heal and offer hope but God.
"Certainly we can trust the Lord, because He is all- knowing, and He loves us and will never give us the wrong guidance. He has a perfect plan for our lives, and He wants us to follow His plan.
Of course, you cannot trust someone who is a stranger to you. You must know Jesus Christ as your own Savior and Lord if you want Him to direct you. When you surrender to Christ, then God becomes your Father, and Christ becomes your Shepherd, and the Holy Spirit becomes your Teacher; and together they direct you into the will of God. The unbeliever is walking in the darkness, but the child of God is walking in the light." (p. 81).
I've been thinking a lot about God's attributes. The author lists two of them that God is all knowing and that He loves us. Our human parents and siblings can love us and even our friends. Human beings, though not perfect, are capable of love. However, no human being is all knowing. When God guides us we can know that He knows what He is doing. Sometimes, like right now for me, it is a little difficult to trust that God has a plan and purpose for my physical problems. Looking to the Bible, we find men and women who could trust God in their challenges.
"Let's take some Bible examples of this principle. When young David showed up at the army camp and discovered Goliath frightening the soldiers, he immediately offered to challenge the giant. David had seen God help him kill the lion and the bear, and he knew God could conquer the giant. But David's brothers laughed at him, and King Saul tried to outfit him in a suit of armor that didn't even fit. These men were leaning on their own understanding; David was following the guidance of God." (p. 82).
We see here the wisdom of men versus the wisdom of God. David's brothers were afraid of the giant and King Saul offered his own armor which was far too big for young David. Both approaches used human solutions for a God-sized problem. David looked to his past and how God delivered him and knew that God could help him now.
My morning devotional from ODB was on how God is the giver of every good and perfect gift. My heart as of late has been a little hard the past couple of days and I said to God that I cannot see His goodness. O, how God speaks to us! Even when our hearts are hard towards Him, He still speaks and shows His goodness. God recently this month has spoken through the mailman.
I received my degree today in the mail. One piece of paper less than standard size with the thickness of construction paper that cost two hard years, a lot of sleepless nights, a lot of money, a lot of ink, and a lot of stress. I am not looking at this piece of paper as a sense of accomplishment, but now in the context of what I am hearing from God is about His faithfulness. God got me through two very hard years in a city that rarely sees sunlight. Those two years had been the hardest so far. God got me through them. That is His goodness, that is His good gift. There were so many times I thought I would not make it through the semester, and I am amazed at His sustaining grace.
ODB from time to time has devotions that speak right into my life and present circumstance. I'd like to share today's:
Who’s Behind It? July 9, 2012

READ: 1 Chronicles 17:16-24

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights. —James 1:17
At a cultural show in Bandung, Indonesia, we enjoyed a wonderful orchestra performance. Before the finale, the 200 people in the audience were each handed an angklung, a musical instrument made of bamboo. We were taught how to shake it in rhythm with the conductor’s timing. Soon we thought we were performing like an orchestra; we felt so proud of how well we were doing! Then it dawned on me that we were not the ones who were good; it was the conductor who deserved the credit.
Similarly, when everything is going well in our lives, it’s easy to feel proud. We’re tempted to think that we are good and that it is by our abilities that we’ve achieved success. During such moments, we tend to forget that behind it all is our good God who prompts, prevents, provides, and protects.
David remembered that truth: “Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: ‘Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far?’” (1 Chron. 17:16). David’s heart swelled up in appreciation of God’s goodness.
The next time we are tempted to take credit for the blessings we enjoy, let’s pause and remember that it is the Lord who brings blessing. —Albert Lee
No strength of our own, nor goodness we claim;
Our trust is all thrown on Jesus’ name:
In this our strong tower for safety we hide;
The Lord is our power, “The Lord will provide.” —Newton
The hand of the Father is behind all good things.