Taught by God!

Teach me to do Your will [so that I may please You], For You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground. PSALM 143:10 AMP

Let it be known that man does not naturally lean towards what is good. We can convince ourselves of our morality or humanity, but from the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, we have exchanged God's nature in us for false alternatives from the devil, who sold us a lie that we could be like God, when we were already God's. We believed his lie, and it has been downhill from then. It doesn't matter how nice a man can be; the natural man is unregenerate, and only a personal encounter with God will change that story.

The Psalmist knew one fundamental truth: a man can only know God by being taught, not of his own accord. We didn't seek God out; God did. We ignored his leading and direction, yet he held out his hands to us, gave his only son for us, and continues to hold out his hands, hoping we will accept his gift of life. He longs to teach me his will, expressed in the person of his son, Jesus. He longs to share his life with me. He wants to be an integral part of my life, the essence of my being. He won't force himself on me; I have got to make that decision.

If I will please God, surrender is key. If I will fulfil God's purpose for my life, it will only be possible by surrender. Check out the lives of the people of old who pleased God, and learn the secret: they knew their limits, realised they couldn't make it on their own, and willingly surrendered control, authority and guidance to the one who knew the way. I must do the same.

Do I acknowledge God as God? Have I taken him as the one and only option, or do I have alternatives? God knows the state of our hearts and we cannot deceive him. As the perfect guide, His Spirit is willing and available to lead. His Spirit knows where we should go, what we should do and how we should speak. It's not about what is convenient, but about what God's perfect will is. The ground ahead is unpredictable, and i know nothing beyond this present moment.

You see, it is not for this time alone, but for the future that is ahead. It does not end here, but all I do NOW is a preparation for eternity. God does not do anything without reason, and as he invests in me, he expects adequate returns. Am I where he has placed and planted me? Am I actively seeking to know and do his will daily? Am I daily dependent on his Spirit for everything, or are there personal areas outside his influence that I am holding on to? What are the real answers to these questions in your life? His time of favour is here.