6 Scriptures to Help You Find the Right Path
When we’re kids, we think adults have everything figured out. We look at our teachers, parents and family members and see grown ups who know exactly how to navigate life. We can’t wait to grow up, because then we’ll also have it all figured out, and no one will be telling us what to do anymore.
Isn’t it a humbling experience when you finally get to adulthood and find out that no one actually knows a thing? People in their 20s are dropping out of college, 30-year-olds are changing career paths, stay-at-home moms in their 40s want to go back to work and 50-year-old empty nesters are becoming travel vloggers. Every single one of us is stumbling through life with no road map, no set of instructions and no rulebook to tell us which way to go.
How do we know which path to take?
For most of us, we battle with unanswered questions, and times of crossroads at some stage or another in life. We’re still trying to figure out what it actually is that we’re meant to be doing. What is our God-given purpose and what direction should we take? How do we know which way is the right way? What if we make a mistake and choose the wrong thing?
The anxiety that comes with trying to navigate which path to take is overwhelming and consuming, but the good news is, that as children of God, we have a Helper. We don’t have to figure everything out on our own. Trusting God to direct your steps and following the path the Lord leads you to, is the only way to live a life of purpose, while remaining in peace.
1. Matthew 6:33 - Seek First the Lord
Matthew 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
The presence of God is truly so powerful. God is love, holiness and light, and the more time you spend in His presence, the more His love, holiness and light will fill you. Spending time with God and seeking Him above everything else will equip and empower you to face the trials of life, and will give you the peace and joy that only He can give. Start your day by spending time in the Word of God. It will give you the peace and power to handle the day God’s way. When you build this habit into every day, you will be able to clearly hear His voice directing you on which path to follow.
Dedicate your life to the Lord and seek Him above everything.
The presence of God is all that truly matters. He created us in His image, to serve and worship Him. When you really understand this, the unanswered questions of which path to take and why things aren’t working out the way you wanted, become less important, because you know that when you seek Him, He will guide you and take care of you. He will give you everything you need as you seek more of Him. Seek God first and keep time with Him as first priority. When you do this, He promises to take care of everything else.
God loves us and wants to provide for all our needs. He is our Heavenly Father and cares about us more than we could ever comprehend. When we seek Him first and receive His love and light, we experience a peace that surpasses understanding. Even when we don’t have all the answers, we trust the One who does.
2. John 14:27 - Peace in the Mess
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Life is messy. Trying to figure out which path to take and the right direction to follow can make it even messier. This mess comes with a lot of frustration, confusion and anxiety. The enemy wants you to get trapped in a spiral of negativity, that way you won’t be able to hear God’s voice clearly when He shows you what to do next.
God is our Way Maker. He has us in the palm of His hand and He promises to direct our path if we put our faith and trust in Him. Instead of trying to figure everything out on your own, give your worries and concerns to God. Ask Him to direct your steps and guide you. Ask for His wisdom to choose the right path that aligns with His will.
Trust in God alone. Remain in His peace.
Thank Him in advance for the breakthroughs, answers and open doors. Praise Him for His blessings that are being poured over your life. God is good all the time and He is going before you, preparing the way. Let go of trying to control the outcome, because what He has for you is way better than anything you could ever do on your own. Overcome the negative spiral that the enemy is trying to keep you in by trusting God to take care of you. Be still and know that He is God. Praise Him and remain in His peace, while He makes a way for you in the wilderness.
3. Isaiah 48:17 - Quiet the Distractions
Isaiah 48:17
This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go."
Less is more. In a world where we’re constantly told to buy more, do more and be more, God calls us to quiet the distractions and focus on Him. Binge watching, scrolling, overworking and hyper focusing on life going exactly the way we want it to, are all just distractions, yet as humans, we get so caught up in them all.
Distractions are a trap that keep us focused on entirely the wrong things. Instead of fixing our eyes on the Lord, we’re getting caught up in the way of the world. We convince ourselves that these things are good for us, but all they do is drain our energy and take us away from what truly matters.
Quiet the distractions and be still before the Lord.
The only way we’re going to truly hear God’s direction and prompting, is if we quiet the distractions and continually focus on Him. During seasons of waiting or change, you might need to cut down on scrolling so you don’t seek answers from social media. You may need to devote more time to be with God, rather than streaming the latest show on Netflix. Dwell in His presence and keep your eyes fixed on Him. Quiet the distractions, so when He speaks, you will hear Him fully and clearly.
4. Psalm 37:23 – 24 - Take Steps of Faith
Psalm 37:23-24
The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
None of us like failure. In fact, most of us do what we can to avoid failure at all costs. We like to know the outcome before we take the leap. The problem is though, that by avoiding failure, we also avoid taking steps of faith when God calls us to do something.
If you truly want to follow the direction God has for your life, you have to learn to let go of the fear of failure and learn to trust that if you fall, God will pick you right back up. Failing is actually one of the biggest ways we learn and grow in life. Most successful people will tell you that they failed their way to success. God uses the times we fail and struggle to grow us into who He needs us to be. He works it all for our good.
In order to really discover the purpose God has for you and the direction He wants you to go, you need to let go of thoughts of failure, trust God and take steps of faith. If you make a mistake or go the wrong way, God is powerful enough to guide you back to where you need to be. This sermon from Life.church speaks about how to know God's will for you, when life becomes unclear, and will help you understand that God leads us in ordinary ways every day. Our lives are a working partnership with God. He wants to direct our steps, but to do that, we need to follow Him and be brave enough to step out in faith.
5. Psalm 119:105 - You Don't Need all the Answers
Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
Two questions we love to know the answers to are when and how. When is my breakthrough going to come? How am I going to get to where I need to in my career? How do I balance everything and do what I need to, without getting burnout? When will this burden be lifted? These are all valid questions to ask, but one of the most dangerous things to do as a Christian is obsessing about finding the answers and trying to fix it all ourselves.
Something that has given me an immense about of freedom, is letting go of the unanswered questions and trusting God to handle what I can’t. Yes, I take responsibility for my part of my partnership with God, but I leave room for Him to do the things I can’t do. Only He knows the answers, and so I had to learn to trust him in the unknown. Doing this has given me supernatural peace in the questions and freedom from having to figure it all out.
Let go of the unanswered questions and trust God.
In Luke 1:26-33, the angel Gabriel came to Mary to tell her that she will become pregnant with the Son of God and His name will be Jesus. She replied in verse 34 asking the angel, “How can this be? I’m a virgin.” Just like the rest of us, Mary had questions about the how. Gabriel answered her in the same way that God answers us when we ask how. Verse 35 says, the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come to you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy child developing inside you will be called the Son of God.”
I really enjoyed the way Stephen Furtick explained this in his sermon, Stop Worrying About the How.
Your answer to How is this: The Holy Spirit will come to you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Your answer to the how is to remember the who. God will fight for you. He will make a way for you. Live in the freedom of trusting Him with the unanswered questions. He will give you peace.
6. Psalm 31:14-15 - Surrender
Psalm 31:14-15
But I trust in you, Lord;
I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me.
If you only take one thing away from reading this, let it be the habit of surrender. Surrendering your path to God doesn’t mean giving up and doing nothing. It means doing what you can do and then letting God do the rest. God can do so much more with your surrender than He could ever do with your hard work.
Working hard towards goals is great, but it will only get you so far. When you surrender and release the need to control everything, you give God space to do what only He can do. It comes with a huge amount of relief and peace, too.
Praise God and surrender it all to Him.
When God speaks to you, do what He asks you to do with as much excellence as you can, but don’t try take on things He hasn’t asked you to. We all love achieving and doing well in life, but we also have to humble ourselves enough to know that God takes us through seasons of waiting, uncertainty and trials to strengthen our dependence on Him. Surrender your life to Him and let Him guide your steps.
None of us have the answers to everything we go through in life. We all experience the messy moments of not knowing which way to turn or what to do next. We may not have all the answers, but we know the One who does.
Seek God and put Him first place in your life. Start your day in the Word instead of scrolling on social media. Go to God in prayer and ask for His guidance before you ask everyone you know for advice on what to do. You might not get all the answers to the questions you have in life, but the Holy Spirit will always guide you and show you the next step to take. Live in His peace as you surrender it all to Him. He will get you to where you need to be.
