Pr Joshua Yong

Psalm 86:11 – “Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.”

So far, we have looked at two aspects of God’s will – the preceptive and the desiderative. The preceptive will of God describes the will of God, which has been revealed to us in His Word. The desiderative will of God describes the desires of God. The Bible describes God’s desire for the salvation of the lost and for holiness.

The next aspect of God’s will to consider is the directive will of God. The directive will of God describes God’s willthat directs  us in what we should do or where we should go.

We all need direction to live godly Christian lives. We need direction to know what to study and which school to go to; we need direction to know our calling concerning our vocation; we need direction when we seek a life partner in marriage. If we do not have any sense of direction but wander around, driven by our feelings and impulses, then we will be so lost and confused in life.  

1. Seeking for Direction

In Psalm 86:11, when David said, “teach me thy way, O LORD,” David prayed and cried out unto God. “The LORD” is the covenant name of God, describing the covenant relationship with His children. As a loving God, He will guide His people. He will not allow His children to wander blindly in this treacherous and seductive world. But God’s people must follow in God’s direction.

In the beginning portion of Psalm 86, David prayed and cried unto the Lord. Psalm 86:1-7 say, “Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy. ² Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee. ³ Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily. ⁴ Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. ⁵ For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. ⁶ Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications. ⁷ In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.”

When David sought the Lord, he came unto the Lord in humility. He described himself as “poor and needy.” He acknowledged his own need and cried unto the Lord. If we want to know the Lord’s directive will for us, we must humbly pray and ask the Lord to guide and teach us. God’s people sometimes do not seek the Lord’s direction because they think they can chart their own course and plan their own future. Yet, do we not see that when there are so many choices and decisions to make, it is easy to feel overwhelmed, but when we cry out unto the Lord and seek His direction, we know that God will answer, and God is gracious and merciful to guide His children.

2. Direction through Revelation

David not only prayed for the Lord to teach him God’s way, but David also said, “I will walk in thy truth.” God has given us His truth, and in His truth, He has revealed His will.

Before the Scriptures were completed, God directed His people through visions and dreams, through the prophets and angels and by speaking directly to His people. For example, in Genesis 12, when God called Abram to leave the Ur of the Chaldees, God spoke directly to Abram. In Genesis 15:1, when God wanted Abram to prepare the animals in the cutting of the covenant, God spoke to Abram through a vision. When David was anointed king in 1 Samuel 16:13, the Lord sent Samuel to reveal God’s will.

Today, the Holy Scriptures have already been completed, and since we have the complete Word of God in our hands, God no longer reveals His will through visions, dreams and extra-biblical prophecies the way He used to do. God directs and guides us today through His Word. God directs us through the clear commands in Scripture or the principles we can draw from Scripture.

When we face specific decisions or choices to make, how should we approach them? We must consider and evaluate these choices in light of the principles revealed in God’s Word. This is God’s directive will for us. We can consider whether something we want to do is, in the very first place, lawful. For example, when deciding whether to take up a particular job offer, we should consider the commands and principles given to us in God’s Word. If the job requires us to lie, then we know it is against the Word of God, as revealed in the Ten Commandments, and we cannot take up that job. If there is a decision we want to take that goes against specific commands or precepts revealed clearly in God’s Word, we know immediately that this cannot be God’s will for us. God will not contradict His Word.

In seeking God’s direction through His Word, we can also seek the counsel of godly men and women who can guide us through the counsel of God’s Word. The Bible speaks of the importance of the multitude of counsellors (Prov 15:22). But it is important to seek wise and godly counsel. Wise and good counsel is given through God’s Word.

3. Direction Through Providence

God also directs us today through His providence. This is where God works through the circumstances of life. But we must always be careful to interpret the circumstances we face in light of the written Word of God. God cannot lead us through a circumstance that contradicts His written Word. An example of circumstances would be what we often describe as “open doors” and “closed doors.” Not every open door is God’s will, but closed doors would mean that God is directing us elsewhere. For example, when Paul suffered a shipwreck in Acts 27, he ended up on Melita. God directed Paul providentially through the storm he met at sea and caused him to land on the Island of Melita. There in Melita, Paul ministered to the islanders for three months.

Knowing God’s directive will for us is one thing, but it is another to obey it. We want to know God’s must, but we must also seek to follow God’s will. David not only asked the Lord to teach Him God’s way, but he said he would “walk” in God’s truth.

When we walk in God’s directive will, we will experience the peace of God. This is not a subjective emotive peace, but it is the peace in knowing that God is pleased with us and that God is with us. Seek God’s directive will always because you can and you must for God’s glory!