In the Old Testament, the Bible is characterized by commands: “Don’t kill,” “Don’t steal,” “Don’t commit immorality,” “Don’t have another god before the true God” (see Exodus 20:3–17). These commands never change. We don’t vote about them. We don’t go by what the culture says. If anybody gets a revelation that changes the moral law, we know that they’re false and of the evil one.

Jesus gave more moral commands in the New Testament. The Old Testament says, “Don’t kill,” and Jesus said, “If you just hate somebody, you’re a murderer” (see Matthew 5:21–22), and, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34, NIV).

God’s moral commands are for everyone.

But there’s a whole slew of commands in the Bible that we would call personal life directives. They’re not for everyone. They’re just for the person they were given to.

For example, God told Noah to build an ark (see Genesis 6:14). That’s not a moral command. He doesn’t want you or me to build an ark. Noah was to build an ark. And by doing so, he saved his family.

When God called Abraham, He told him to leave everything and go to a place He would show him (see Genesis 12:1). Is that a moral command? No. God’s not calling you or me to leave everything today and go to a place that He’ll show us. That was to Abraham. And it was so important. Abraham, the father of the Jewish people, got to the promised land because of that personal life directive.

When Moses led the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt, God told him, “You will move only as I direct you to move. During the day you’ll see a cloud, and at nighttime you’ll see a pillar of fire. When the cloud or pillar moves, you move. When it stays, you stay, whether it’s for three months, a year, two years” (see Exodus 13:21–22; Numbers 9:15–23). Was that a moral command? Are you and I supposed to follow some cloud during the day and a pillar of fire by night? No. But at that moment, God gave Moses and the Israelites His personal directives for His people.

There are moral commands, which are for all of us, and then there are personal directives—commands that the Lord gives that have to do with our personal lives so we can be happy and blessed and in the center of His will.

A lot of Christians don’t think about these things. They think Christianity is only about obeying the moral commands of God. People move, leave their jobs, leave a church, retire early, take off to live in Pennsylvania or wherever without a thought of “Is this God’s will? Am I listening to the Holy Spirit? Am I following God’s plan?”

This sensitivity to God’s leading was normal in the early Christian church, which we today are supposed to be trying to imitate and replicate.

Paul, on his second missionary journey, wanted to push west into Asia, modern-day western Turkey, to preach the gospel. But the Bible says he was kept by the Holy Spirit from going there. Why couldn’t he go? It doesn’t say. So Paul tried heading north to Bithynia instead. Again, the Spirit of Jesus would not allow him. Now isn’t that strange? He wanted to preach the gospel, yet the Spirit kept saying no.

So Paul and his companions went down to Troas, completely frozen, not knowing what to do. When we don’t know what to do, we shouldn’t do anything. We should just wait for God to show us. That night, Paul had a vision of a man from Macedonia pleading, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Macedonia was in Greece—in Europe. The gospel had never been to Europe! Luke wrote that they got ready at once, concluding that God had called them to preach there (see Acts 16:6–10).

And because Paul allowed the Lord to block his plans, a massive vision unfolded. The gospel reached Philippi, Thessalonica, and Corinth, and eventually spread across the entire Roman Empire—all because Paul went where God opened a door.

In the New Testament, the leading of God was fluid. The Spirit was moving. Today we’ve regimented it. Corporate America has invaded the church, so everything is organized, including your life and mine.

God has personal directives for every Christian. He might be saying to you, “Text that person today; he needs a word right now. Call that person. Get alone in your office and pray for him.”

The Christian life is not about how it’s done in America or where we grew up in the Caribbean or Poland or wherever. No, our goal is to read the Bible and say, “Holy Spirit, what You did then, do again.”

Too often we just go by our brains. We go by our schooling or how our parents grew up or our culture. But God is waiting to direct us to the exact place He wants each of us to be. When we’re in the center of His will, there’s no sweeter place to be in the whole world.

Has the Lord stopped speaking? Has He stopped directing people? No. We’re into organizational things, but that’s not the way God works. The Bible tells us that God still speaks and directs His people.

What is He saying to you today?

Prayer

Lord, give us quiet hearts to hear Your voice when You speak, and give us willing spirits to obey without hesitation. Teach us to listen for Your Holy Spirit today and to follow wherever You lead.

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