He Will Direct Thy Paths

Driving home: And I would emphasize, as we move to the promise tonight, having looked at the climate of the text, the commands of the text, now we come to the third division, the promise of the text, that the promise comes after the c…

Compares the promise of guidance to a commuter ticket not valid if detached from the book, emphasizing that the promise is inseparable from the preceding commands.

Only a Christian can perform these things, but not every Christian is performing them to the extent that the promise is one. And I would emphasize, as we move to the promise tonight, having looked at the climate of the text, the commands of the text, now we come to the third division, the promise of the text, that the promise comes after the commands. And once you wrench the promise loose from the directive of the commands, you are guilty of resting the scriptures. Occasionally, some of you have purchased commuter tickets, and I know on some of the books, of commuter tickets, in certain commut...

2:55 - 3:40 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize that the greatest joy of biblical guidance is the knowledge that it occurs in the context of intimate communion with the living God.

Illustrates the glory of God's personal involvement in guidance by comparing having detailed maps for an uncharted area to having the guide personally accompany and direct you.

Picture a man setting out in an uncharted area that he's never traveled before. And before he leaves, someone who's gone over that area gives him a set of detailed maps showing him every single spot of ground where he's traveling to see, every single area that he's going to pass through, and he has a source of directive that is absolutely trustworthy, and he's going to make it. He's going to make his way from point A to point B by means of these maps and charts and navigational aids that are at his disposal. Now that's wonderful.

7:45 - 8:23 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section explores the positive meaning of the promise, highlighting God as the personal author of guidance, the certainty and substance of His direction (making paths…

Recounts the story from 1 Samuel 6 where cows took a 'straight way' against their natural instinct, demonstrating the meaning of 'direct' or 'make straight' in the Hebrew word.

As level. There's a beautiful example of its use in 1 Samuel chapter 6 and verse 12. Do you remember the incident? These people got into trouble.

11:20 - 11:28 Read in full sermon

Driving home: That impression isn't the Holy Ghost, it's your hormones.

Warns against using the Bible superstitiously for guidance, comparing it to a non-licensed lottery or Ouija board, which contradicts its purpose and tempts God.

that says it does no it doesn't so when the text of the Bible says it does it says that he shall direct thy paths or he will direct thy paths that promise is not fulfilled by sudden impression seizing upon the spirit seizing upon the inner life no no it's not fulfilled that the second place negatively it is not fulfilled by using the Bible as a non-licensed glorified lottery when the state of New Jersey wanted to start raising revenues by lottery which is a terrible sin and a confession of fiscal irresponsibility and a confession of self-righteousness I'm not here tonight a preach against lott...

25:37 - 26:17 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin clarifies what the promise does not mean, refuting the ideas that guidance involves inward feelings, knowing the 'how' or 'by what means' of God's direction, or seeing the…

Compares trying to discern God's will by interpreting circumstances to fortune tellers interpreting animal entrails, arguing that only God can fully interpret providence.

So when He says He'll direct our paths, and I think particularly so many of you have young Christians, and only the earnest child of God gets in much trouble here, so desperate to know the will of God, and it gets so wearying at times, using His moral, His ethical, and His spiritual and rational faculties. He longs for some kind of guidance that will transcend all of that and give Him a quick answer to a very, very thorny matter. Well, when the Scripture says He shall direct thy paths, or He will direct thy paths, it's not promising this. In the third place, it's not giving us an infallible, p...

27:55 - 28:34 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin clarifies what the promise does not mean, refuting the ideas that guidance involves inward feelings, knowing the 'how' or 'by what means' of God's direction, or seeing the…

Uses Jonah's story to illustrate how providential circumstances (ship in port, favorable winds, money) can seem to point away from God's clear command, warning against relying solely on providence.

sort of resting above them, and they try to back off and interpret all of the factors of providence and thereby believe that God will guide them in the right decision. My friend, that's losing business. Because only the God who orders providence can fully interpret them. There was once upon a time a prophet named Jonah, and he had every providential indication that the will of God was for him to go to Tarshish.

29:18 - 29:50 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section clarifies that the promise does not guarantee immunity from common trials or infallibility in decisions, but rather overrules errors for deeper humiliation and…

Illustrates that Christians are not immune from common trials like getting a bad car or the flu, emphasizing that God's guidance does not promise immunity from such things.

from the trials common to mankind, and secondly, infallibility in our decisions and directions. Many a child of God feels, oh, I must have sinned in matters of guidance because they find themselves afflicted with trials common to mankind. Do sinners once in a while get a lemon for a car? Yes, so do saints.

44:44 - 45:10 Read in full sermon