“Your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right or to the left.” Isaiah 30:21
Do you find yourself wondering what God’s plan is for your life? What job you should take, what college you should go to, whom you should marry, what calling you should pursue? As Christians, we believe God has a specific plan for our lives. But how do we know what His will is? And how can we hear His voice? God spoke on this through the prophet Isaiah. His words still apply to us today as we seek God’s will for our lives.
1. God’s voice should be anticipated.
“Your ears will hear a word behind you…”
If you have surrendered your life to Christ, He will lead you with His voice (John 10:27). He has assured us that He will speak to us, and we should listen for His voice behind us, guiding the way. God speaks to us through the promptings of the Holy Spirit (John 16:13) and through the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:15–17). The more time we spend with our Shepherd, the more we recognize His voice.
2. God’s voice should be obeyed.
“This is the way, walk in it.”
God has a will for your life. When He speaks that will, we must obey it. We prove our love for the Lord by doing what He says (John 14:15). When we sense the need to help someone, pray for someone, share the Gospel with someone—we can know for certain that these are the promptings from God. We are too selfish to come up with those ideas on our own! And when God prompts you to do something, obey immediately.
3. God’s voice will be specific.
“…whenever you turn to the right or to the left.”
God has a good, acceptable, and perfect will for our lives—and He will guide us toward that will as we listen for and obey His voice. God’s plan for salvation is specific—by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9) in Jesus alone (John 14:6). And God has a specific plan for our lives as well. And as we lay ourselves on the altar, He reveals His will to us (Romans 12:1–2).
Do we experience God’s perfect will every day? No, because we are all sinners. However, that doesn’t negate the fact that He has a perfect will for us. As we listen for His voice each day, as we obey His promptings and His guidance, He guides us toward the specific path He has for each of us.
This blog is an excerpt from Pastor Steve Gaines sermon on Sunday, August 23, 2023. Click here to view the full sermon online.