INSTRUCTED HEARTS ARE BLESSED (2)

“I will INSTRUCT you and TEACH you in the WAY you should go; I will GUIDE you with My eye” – Psalm 32:8               

INSTRUCTED HEARTS are BLESSED with divine direction and guidance: “I will INSTRUCT you and TEACH you in the WAY you should go; I will GUIDE you with My eye. Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you” (Psa.32:8-9). The New International Version says: "I will instruct you and TEACH you in the WAY you should go; I will COUNSEL you with MY LOVING EYE on you" (v.8). God teaches and instructs us similar to a father who lovingly watches over his children. He desires to be close to His children and when we draw near to Him, He draws near to us (Jam.4:8).

Naturally, we should long to be close to God, our Heavenly Father, as every child wants to have the security of closeness to their parents. However, many because of their background and upbringing wonder if they can really get close to God the Father because they never had a real father that loved them and gave them the attention and instruction they needed. God loves us and longs to listen to our hearts, comfort, and counsel us like a father: “The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call upon Him in truth” (Psalm 145:18). Just as every parent knows the importance of getting a child’s attention, so God relates to us also. We need to make time to enjoy intimacy with Him: “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psa.46:10). God is always available for us; we must concentrate on Him and His Holy attributes.

The promise in Psalm 32:8 encompasses everything we need to know to make right choices in life.

God promises to INSTRUCT us with truth. The world and religious people offer advice and ideas that are full of error, but the Lord’s guidance always leads us the right way: “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the WAY, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left” (Isa.30:21).   

God TEACHES us from His Word: He unveils His Heart, helping us to understand His Word. Having information is just the beginning; to benefit from it, we must apply what we learn to the situation we’re facing. Since some of our decisions are not matters of right and wrong but of what’s appropriate or best for our lives, we need wisdom and discernment to make the right choices. The Holy Spirit within us will guide us into all truth (Jh.16:13). His goal is to prompt and direct us to do the Will of God by showing us the difference between truth and error and helping us distinguish between what’s good and what’s best. Because He knows the future and sees what will result from taking a wrong or regrettable turn, He guides us into paths that lead to the blessings of obedience.

God’s promise to GUIDE or COUNSEL us with His eye shows us His closeness, because counselling involves a relationship. It also reveals that we walk under the loving eye of the Lord’s encompassing watch. As our loving Father, He watches over us, giving wise counsel for life. Knowing that God loves us, has full knowledge of the future, and always wants the best for us, it’s foolish to ignore His wisdom and make decisions based on our own knowledge and understanding (v.9). There are so many facets of the situation we cannot see, but God knows them all, therefore, we should seek His loving instructions of the way we should go.

GOD’s EYE upon us also demonstrates His protection and watchful care over us, wherever we are and whatever we do. He sees what awaits us each day and shows us the right way, even when another path seems like the one we should take. Our responsibility is to keep looking up and setting our minds on God. Every decision should prompt us to ask Him what He’d have us do.