Seeking God's Guidance for Discerning Traditions and Examples
Seeking God's guidance involves a diligent and prayerful approach to understanding divine will and applying it to one's life. This pursuit is rooted in biblical calls to discern what is pleasing to the Lord [1] and to understand His precepts [2].
The process of seeking guidance often begins with self-examination and a desire for divine instruction. The Psalmist prays, "Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts" [3]. This introspection is coupled with a request for God to teach His statutes and make duty plain, especially in times of doubt or affliction [13]. Such prayers reflect a longing not just for blessings, but for a deeper understanding of God's nature, character, and actions [12].
Scripture is presented as a primary resource for discerning God's will. Believers are encouraged to "search the Scriptures" diligently, as they are considered of divine inspiration and authority, serving as a standard for faith and a test for doctrines [10]. The Bible acts as a "way mark" to direct individuals when they are at a crossroads, unsure which path to take [9]. While the written Word reveals God's will, the right understanding of it requires God Himself as the expounder, providing both enlightening and guiding grace [8]. Wisdom, which is intimately connected with prudence, helps individuals understand God's ways and their own, enabling them to foresee and avoid evil [7].
Diligence is a recurring theme in seeking God's guidance. This includes diligence in hearing and praying for instruction to secure the "fear of God" [11]. Christ Himself is presented as an example of diligence [4], as well as meekness [6] and prudence [7]. Believers are called to be diligent in various aspects of their lives, such as obeying God, hearkening to Him, striving for perfection, cultivating Christian graces, keeping their souls and hearts, and engaging in labors of love [4]. This active pursuit involves trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord [1].
The concept of "tradition" itself carries different connotations in biblical usage. While some traditions refer to arbitrary interpretations or degenerate practices, such as those of the Jews criticized by Jesus and Peter [5], the term can also be used in a positive sense, referring to teaching handed down from generation to generation [5]. Discerning between these forms of tradition requires careful attention to God's revealed will.
Sources
- Ephesians “Ephesians 5:10 (NASB) — trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.”
- Psalms “Psalms 119:27 (NASB) — Make me understand the way of Your precepts, So I will meditate on Your wonders.”
- Psalms “Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts. -- Psalms 139:23”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Diligence — Christ, an example -- Mr 1:35; Lu 2:49. Required by God in Seeking him. -- 1Ch 22:19; Heb 11:6. Obeying him. -- De 6:17; 11:13. Hearkening to him. -- Isa 55:2. Striving after perfection. -- Php 3:13,14. Cultivating Christian graces. -- 2Pe 1:5. Keeping the souls. -- De 4:9. Keeping the heart. -- Pr 4:23. Labours of love. -- Heb 6:10-12. Following every good work. -- 1Ti 5:10. Guarding against defilement. -- Heb 12:15. Seeking to be found spotless. -- 2Pe 3:14. Making our call, &c, sure. -- 2Pe 1:10. Self-examination. -- Ps 77:6. Lawful business. -- Pr 27:”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Tradition — Any kind of teaching, written or spoken, handed down from generation to generation. In Mark 7:3, 9, 13, Col. 2:8, this word refers to the arbitrary interpretations of the Jews. In 2 Thess. 2:15; 3:6, it is used in a good sense. Peter (1 Pet. 1:18) uses this word with reference to the degenerate Judaism of the "strangers scattered" whom he addresses (comp. Acts 15:10; Matt. 15:2-6; Gal. 1:14).”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Meekness — Christ set an example of -- Ps 45:4; Isa 53:7; Mt 11:29; 21:5; 2Co 10:1; 1Pe 2:21-23. His teaching -- Mt 5:38-45. A fruit of the Spirit -- Ga 5:22,23. Saints should Seek. -- Zep 2:3. Put on. -- Col 3:12-13. Receive the word of God with. -- Jas 1:21. Exhibit, in conduct, &c. -- Jas 3:13. Answer for their hope with. -- 1Pe 3:15. Show to all men. -- Tit 3:2. Restore the erring with. -- Ga 6:1. Precious in the sight of God -- 1Pe 3:4. Ministers should Follow after. -- 1Ti 6:11. Instruct opposers with. -- 2Ti 2:24,25. Urge, on their people. -- Tit 3:1,2. A char”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Prudence — Exhibited in the manifestation of God's grace -- Eph 1:8. Exemplified by Christ -- Isa 52:13; Mt 21:24-27; 22:15-21. Intimately connected with wisdom -- Pr 8:12. The wise celebrated for -- Pr 16:21. They who have Get knowledge. -- Pr 18:15. Deal with knowledge. -- Pr 13:16. Look well to their goings. -- Pr 14:15. Understand the ways of God. -- Ho 14:9. Understand their own ways. -- Pr 14:8. Crowned with knowledge. -- Pr 14:18. Not ostentatious of knowledge. -- Pr 12:23. Foresee and avoid evil. -- Pr 22:3. Are preserved by it. -- Pr 2:11. Suppress angry fee”
- Psalms (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Psalms 25:4: Recognising the infamy of such black ingratitude, he prays for instruction as to the ways which he must take according to the precepts of God (Psa 18:22). The will of God, it is true, lies before us in God's written word, but the expounder required for the right understanding of that word is God Himself. He prays Him for knowledge; but in order to make what he knows a perfect and living reality, he still further needs the grace of God, viz., both His enlightening and also His guiding grace.”
- Jeremiah (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Jeremiah 6:16: Thus saith the Lord, stand ye in the ways, and see,.... These are the words of the Lord to the people, whom he would have judge for themselves, and not be blindly led by the false prophets and priests; directing them to do what men should, when they are in a place where two or more ways meet, and know not which way to take; they should make a short stop, and look to the way mark or way post, which points whither each path leads, and so accordingly proceed. Now, in religious things, the Scriptures are the way mark to direct us which way we should take: if the inquiry”
- John (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on John 5:39: Search the Scriptures,.... The writings of Moses, and the prophets, which were of divine inspiration and authority, and are often appealed unto by Christ, and his apostles, for the truth of what they delivered; and were the standard of faith, and the test of doctrines; and therefore to be searched diligently into, for finding divine knowledge and improvement in it, and for the trial of doctrines. The words may be rendered in the indicative, as an assertion, "ye do search the Scriptures": the Jews had the sacred oracles committed to them, and these they read, not only th”
- Proverbs (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Proverbs 2 (introduction): Men are invited to seek wisdom because it teaches those principles by which they may obtain God's guidance and avoid the society and influence of the wicked, whose pernicious courses are described. (Pro. 2:1-22) Diligence in hearing and praying for instruction must be used to secure the great principle of godliness, the fear of God. hide . . . with thee--lay up in store (compare Pro 7:1).”
- Exodus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Exodus 33:13: 33:13 let me know your ways: Moses did not merely want God’s blessings; he wanted to know God’s nature and character, as well as the manner of and reasons for his actions. God’s goal of revealing himself was beginning to be realized, at least in one person. • Moses wanted God himself to accompany them, because they were the Lord’s own people.”
- Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 119:124: Here is, 1. David's petition for divine instruction: "Teach me thy statutes; give me to know all my duty; when I am in doubt, and know not for certain what is my duty, direct me, and make it plain to me; now that I am afflicted, oppressed, and my eyes are ready to fail for thy salvation, let me know what my duty is in this condition." In difficult times we should desire more to be told what we must do than what we may expect, and should pray more to be led into the knowledge of scripture-precepts than of scripture-prophecies. If God, who gave us his statutes, d”