Introduction

The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct of this army. ~ General George Washington
The fate of a nation hung in the balance. After a series of humiliating defeats, the battered and dispirited Continental Army of General George Washington fled headlong in retreat. At best, Washington had about 3,000 troops, many of whom were in tatters. Making the situation more calamitous, the enlistments of two-thirds of these soldiers expired in less than two weeks. General Washington faced a crucial decision: continue the retreat and salvage what remained of his ragtag army or turn and attack.

General Washington decided to change direction and fight. In the midst of a howling winter storm, General Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River and, in a battle that changed the fortunes of a war, of a nation, and of the world, defeated the Hessians at Trenton.

Few people face decisions of such consequence. However, you do face decisions that affect your life, the lives of those around you, and quite probably the lives of people whom you do not even know. Decisions regarding family, relationships, finances, and career are all of great importance to you.

Several years ago my wife and I faced such a decision. Our three-year-old son was, at the time, the only grandchild on both sides of our family. We lived only a two-hour drive from both sets of grandparents, and my wife was eight months pregnant with our daughter. While out of the country on a business trip, my employer informed me that the office where I worked was being closed by new ownership. I had a choice to either relocate to another facility further away from our families or take a severance package and look for a new job.

The infamous American philosopher, Yogi Berra, once advised, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it!” A memorable quote, but it provides little help when faced with a difficult decision. How do you make important decisions similar to the one my wife and I faced? Do you seek the advice and counsel of someone you trust and respect? Do you seek God’s advice?

For Christians, one of the problems frequently encountered is understanding the will of God in a given situation. The late A.W. Tozer believed the choices that Christians must make from day to day fall into one of four categories:

• Those for which God has said an emphatic “No”
• Those for which God has said an emphatic “Yes”
• Those He leaves to your own sanctified preferences
• Those that require special guidance from the Lord

In Jeremiah 29:11, God declares,

“I know the plans that I have for you….”

How do you get in on His plan? How do you determine into which one of these categories your situation fits? Finding God’s direction is not as complicated as we often make it seem. There is no mystic puzzle to solve in search of an elusive, hidden truth. No magic formulas, rites, or rituals are required in order to determine God’s direction for you. If you eagerly seek it, God will reveal His direction to you. The Compass presents some simple principles that can serve as a framework to help you seek, find, and follow God’s direction.

In the introduction to the book Experiencing God, by Henry Blackaby and Claude King, the authors state,

“Knowing God does not come through a program, a study, or a method. Knowing God comes through a relationship with a Person. This is an intimate love relationship with God. Through this relationship, God reveals Himself, His purposes, and His ways; and He invites you to join Him where He is already at work.”

The starting point for this relationship is trusting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Absent this relationship, you are groping in the darkness and cannot discern God’s direction.

The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14

If you have not taken this first step of trusting Jesus Christ, the time to do so is now. See Starting a Relationship with God on page ## for help with this decision. If you have taken this foundational step,

This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:3

Whether you are a new or longtime believer, the same question applies: Where do you go from here?

In the story Alice in Wonderland, young Alice inquires of the Cheshire cat:

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to walk from here?”

“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the cat.

“I don’t care much where,” said Alice.

“Then it doesn’t matter which way you walk,” said the cat.

Regarding the direction for your life, do you care where you go, or are you, like Alice, indifferent?

What do you want to accomplish during this study? For what specific decision(s) in your life would you like to know God’s direction? What are the questions for which you seek answers?

Consider these questions; then, in the space below, write down the situations and decisions for which you will specifically seek God’s guidance during this study.