“Henceforth I call You not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called You friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto You.”
(John 15:15)
One of the great blessings of divine grace is that God does not leave His people to stumble through life without light. He orders their steps by His Word, and by His Spirit He impresses that Word upon their heart. Without such guidance we may know what is right in one moment and yet act against that knowledge in another, leading to a divided mind and an uncertain course.
When a man is governed by many competing ends, his behavior is unfocused because his will is not settled. But when God’s Word orders our steps, it directs the whole person toward one blessed end. And when our final end is fixed upon God and the everlasting enjoyment of Him, the intervening aspects of life begin to take their proper place.
God’s ordering of our steps also restrains the dominion of sin. Sinful affections commonly advance by degrees. One indulgence prepares the way for another until what was once resisted becomes increasingly difficult to break. But seasonable warnings from the Spirit applying the Word can arrest the progress of sin before it becomes too deeply rooted.[1]
Though some possess a greater degree of moral awareness and others a greater knowledge of the Word, God’s people possess His Spirit who brings His Word to life in their hearts. That is, He causes His truth to direct, warn, convince, and guide them inwardly.
Christ’s words in John 15 reveal the tenderness contained in this privilege. He calls His disciples friends because He has made known to them what He heard from the Father. Christ does not keep the will of God hidden from His people; He makes known what they need for faithful obedience.
Steps imply movement toward an end, and the path of the Word leads ultimately to God Himself. The directives in His Word are not random advice for isolated moments; they are guidance homeward. God directs His people in the present and afterward receives them into glory. And to be directed by God is not a small mercy; it is one of the chief privileges of belonging to Him.
Contemplations:
- Unite What Sin Keeps Dividing. My heart is easily distracted by competing desires, fears, and interests. I can know one thing and pursue another. I can speak Your truth while living inconsistently. Unite my heart to fear Your name. Give my life one settled direction. Let the final end govern the nearer choices, so that my conduct becomes less divided and more harmonious under Your rule.
- Warn Me Before Sin Becomes a Habit. I know that sin strengthens by repeated acts and often gains dominion by degrees, so do not let me treat small indulgences lightly. Press Your Word upon my conscience before one compromise becomes many, before repetition becomes custom, and before custom becomes bondage. Make me responsive while correction is still fresh and the path of return is clear.
- Make Your Word More Than External Instruction. I do not want to just know Scripture while remaining inwardly unmoved by it. Apply it to my heart by Your Spirit. Let Your commands reach my affections, Your promises strengthen me, and Your wisdom govern my decisions. Do for me what natural conscience alone cannot do which is to make Your Word rule over my heart.
- Lead Me All the Way Home. Your guidance is not only for the next decision; You direct Your people toward Yourself. Let every ordered step move me nearer to the everlasting enjoyment of You. Keep me from wandering into paths that waste the life You have given. Guide me by Your counsel now, and let the end of that guidance be glory.
Prayer (Supplication):
Father, order my steps according to Your Word.
My heart is easily divided, and when it is divided my life becomes unstable. Unite my heart to fear Your name. Fix my highest end upon You, so that lesser desires fall into their proper place and my conduct becomes more consistent, orderly, and obedient.
Do not let small compromises pass unnoticed. Warn me while temptation is still near the beginning. Interrupt sinful habits before they gather strength. Let Your Spirit apply Your Word with such force that corruption is checked before it settles into deeper bondage.
I ask for more than external knowledge, I want Your Spirit to impress Your truth upon my heart. Make it govern my thoughts, affections, choices, and actions. Let my conscience be enlightened and strengthened by the Spirit rather than left to natural weakness.
Thank You that Christ has not left His people in ignorance, but has made known what He received from the Father. Give me a teachable heart worthy of that privilege, and make me attentive to Your counsel and quick to follow it.
And let every step ordered by Your Word become part of the path by which You guide me now and afterward receive me into glory.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Further Scripture References:
John 8:26; John 17:26; Gen. 18:17; Psalm 25:14
[1] Thomas Manton, One Hundred and Ninety Sermons on the Hundred and Nineteenth Psalm, (London: Printed for T.P. &c. and are to be sold by Michael Hide, bookseller in Exon, 1681), 916-917.
