Every good opportunity that presents itself is not necessarily God's will for us. Many times circumstances line up, and everything looks good; yet it doesn't seem right. In such cases, we need to hear from God.
That's why I say that divine direction is really heard and not seen. We should be more interested in the unseen than in the seen.
While Jesus was fasting and praying in the wilderness the devil approached him with an opportunity to turn stones into bread. That sounds like a great miracle and a great opportunity. Today a miracle like that may even land him on TBN. But it wasn’t God’s will or God’s plan.
The only safe way to decide which direction to go is to distinguish between the voices we hear. There are always three voices: God's, our own, and the devils. We must learn to distinguish among these three.
One woman stood up in her church and said, "Preacher, I've had to fight the devil all week long to be here tonight." And her husband stood up from the other side of the building and said, "Well she hasn't been the easiest to live with either." He thought she was talking about him.
We must eliminate all foggy areas in our lives. This is the key to being able to see and think clearly. Fog, especially spiritual fog, is very dangerous to drive into.
We should build on what we hear on the inside, not on what we see on the outside. There's a big difference between having an ability to do something and being called and anointed to do it. You may have seen someone in church who has an ability to sing, but that is not necessarily evidence that the person has been called by God to the life of a singer. A gift is not a call.
I am not suggesting that God isn't directing us to use our abilities. But ability should not be the only criterion for deciding whether or not we make a particular choice. Not only does the Lord give us a road map; He also provides direction signals, information signs, a vehicle, fuel, and time to get to our destination.
We need to be sensitive to what lies in the unseen. Not realizing what lay just beneath their feet, many people have walked right over rich pools of oil or veins of gold. Their vision was too limited. They saw only the ground, not the treasure hidden in it.
In 2 Samuel 23, most Bible scholars believe that King David, who is a type of Christ, perhaps just muttered under his breath, just thought out loud, “Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” The three mighty men were so close to King David that they felt his heart beat, jumped up and ran and got the water for him. You need to stay so close to King Jesus that you feel his heart beat. So close that you stay sensitive to the desires of the King.
Look beyond what you see with your natural eyes. Stay close enough to King Jesus that you can listen with your spiritual ears. Keep your antenna up for God's perfect direction in your life.
Do you know that sometimes the Holy Spirit will tell us things that we’re not supposed to share or openly react to? For example, we might discern something "less than positive" about someone – but it would be unwise for us to share that information with them or other people. The information is simply meant for our safety and benefit. In fact, sharing that information could lead to unnecessary strife, broken relationships, damaged reputations, and unfinished assignments.